6/3/9 


Htbrarg  of  3?rntfilj 


I,    LEOPOLD  ZUNZ:    THE  SUFFERINGS  OF 
THE  JEWS  DURING  THE  MIDDLE  AGES 

II.    HYMAN  HURWITZ:    HEBREW  TALES 

III.    "PIRKE  ABOT":    THE  SAYINGS  OF  THE 
JEWISH  FATHERS 


LIBRARY  OF  JEWISH  CLASSICS— II. 


SELECTED   AND    TRANSLATED 
FEOM   THE  WRITINGS  OF  THE 

ANCIENT    HEBREW    SAGES 


BT 

HYMAN  HURWITZ 


Revised  and  Edited  by 
GEORGE  ALEXANDER  KOHUT 

SECOND  EDITION 
NEW  YORK 

BLOCH  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
1917 


COPYRIGHT,  1911,  BY 
BLOCK  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface   9 

'Moses  and  the  Lamb 15 

The  Value  of  a  Good  Wife 16 

The  Lord  Helpeth  Man  and  Beast 18 

Conversation  of  a  Philosopher  with  a  Rabbi     .  20 

The  Princess  and  Rabbi  Joshua 22 

Mercy  in  Judgment 23 

Blessings  in  Disguise 24 

Intended  Divorce  and  Reconciliation    ....  26 

The  Heavenly  Lamp 29 

True  Charity  Knows  no  Law 29 

Scripture  Impartiality 31 

The  Honor  Due  to  Whatever  is  Truly  Useful    .  32 

To  Insult  Poverty  or  Natural  Defect,  no  Venial 

Crime 33 

Liberality  Grounded  on  Religion  not  to  be  Con- 
quered by  Reverse  Fortune 35 

On  Pretended  Majorities 39 

On  the  Mood  of  Mind  that  will  Render  the  Con- 
sequences of  Improper  Actions  the  Atone- 
ment for  Them  ....  41 


2096081 


6  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Seven  Ages 43 

Incorruptible  Treasures 4G 

Table  Talk  of  the  Sages  of  Israel 47 

Destruction  of  Wickedness „     .  48 

The  Meek  and  the  Haughty 49 

The  Heathen  and  the  Hebrew  Sages    ....  51 

The  Conquest  of  Meekness 52 

True  Charity 55 

Filial  Reverence 56 

The  Double  Moral  and  Twofold  Tale    ....  57 

Compassion  Toward  the  Unhappy 59 

The  Legacy  of  Rabbi  Johanan  to  his  Disciples  62 

Milton's  "Dark  from  Excess  of  Light"     ...  64 

The  Wilful  Drunkard 65 

Do  not  Provoke  those  who  Throw  off  Appear- 
ances of  Justice 68 

The  Traveller  and  the  Date-tree  of  the  Oasis  70 

The  Aged  Planter  and  Hadrian 71 

The  Same  Things  no  Longer  the  Same  under 

Altered  Circumstances 73 

The  Preposterous  Snake 76 

The  Doctrine  of  Resurrection  Supported  by  that 

of  Creation       78 

The  Sufferings  of  the  Jews  under  Hadrian,  I     .  79 


CONTENTS  7 

PAGE 

Sufferings  of  the  Jews  under  Hadrian,  II    ...     82 

On  Vows  in  Cases  Previously  Binding  on  the 
Conscience 83 

Poverty  no  Proof  of  Divine  Disfavor    ....  83 

Scrupulous  Honesty 85 

The  Fox  and  the  Fish 86 

The  Climax  of  Benevolence 89 

Rabbi  Simeon  and  the  Jewels 91 

He  who  Wrongs  the  Dishonest  under  the  Pre- 
tence of  their  Dishonesty  Renders  Himself  an 
Accomplice  92 

Scrupulous  Honesty 93 

Reverence  for  Truth  and  Simplicity  not  to  be 
Sacrificed  to  the  Forms  of  Courtesy  ...  94 

The  Twofold  Charity  of  the  Benevolent  Physi- 
cian   95 

Folly  of  Idolatry .     .     97 

Abraham's  Deliverance  from  the  Fiery  Furnace    99 

No  Loss  of  Dignity  from  any  Innocent  Means  of 
Promoting  Peace  and  Harmony 100 

The  Lawful  Heir 103 

The  Fox  and  the  Rift  in  the  Garden-Wall    .     .  107 

Alexander  and  the  Female  Chief 109 

Ambition  Humbled  and  Reproved Ill 


8  CONTENTS 

FACETIAE  PAGE 

Wit  Like  Salt 115 

The  Word  "Us" 115 

The  Tailor  and  the  Broken  Mortar     .     .     .     .116 
Witty  Retort  of  a  Hebrew  Child 116 

The   Inhospitable  Jester  Taken   in    his   Own 
Snare       117 

The  Enigma  that  Cost  the  Athenian  his  Mantle  118 

The  Quadruple  Tale 119 

The  Athenian  and  his  One-Eyed  Slave    .     .     .122 

The  Scientific  Carver 124 

No  Rule  Without  Exception 128 


EDITOR'S    PREFACE 

IN  1826  a  little  book  appeared  in  London 
which  immediately  attracted  attention. 
It  was  neatly  printed,  in  splendid,  large  type, 
making  it  by  far  the  most  attractive  output 
of  the  Jewish  press  of  that  period.  Intrinsically, 
too,  it  represented  the  flowering  of  Hebrew 
literature  in  England.  Indeed,  no  other  Eng- 
lish work  on  a  Jewish  subject,  with  the  pos- 
sible exception  of  Emanuel  Deutsch's  memor- 
able essay  on  "The  Talmud" — published  ten 
decades  later,  in  The  Quarterly  Review — was  so 
favorably  received. 

Its  elevated  tone,  simple  dignity,  and  choice 
phrasing,  no  less  than  its  modest  learning,  com- 
bined to  make  it  the  most  popular  repertory 
of  Jewish  lore  and  legend  for  more  than  a  gen- 
eration, and  its  unique  value  as  a  source-book 
of  Rabbinic  tradition,  to  Jew  as  well  as  Gen- 
tile, has  not  been  impaired  by  the  publication 
of  a  host  of  similar  works,  a  few  of  which,  as 
the  anthologies  of  Fuerstenthal,  Levi,  Polano, 
and  S.  Baring-Gould,  are  still  highly  prized 
by  students. 

Hyman  Hurwitz's  " Hebrew  Tales"  is,  more- 
over, a  notable  contribution  to  English  liter- 
ature. It  is  original,  distinctive,  and  authori- 
tative, a  noble  message  from  Isiael  to  the 


10  PREFACE 

nations — a  human  document  as  forceful  and 
effective,  in  a  certain  sense,  as  the  " Morals" 
of  Seneca,  or  the  "Thoughts"  of  the  Emperor 
Marcus  Aurelius.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  in- 
ferred that  if  the  author  had  been  a  pagan 
ruler,  or  a  Christian  prelate,  his  version  of  the 
sayings  of  the  ancient  Jewish  Sages  would 
have  issued  from  the  press  of  Aldus,  Caxton, 
and  Elzevir — or  even  from  the  bindery  of  East 
Aurora.  But  Hyman  Hurwitz  was  a  Hebrew 
of  the  Hebrews,  and  habent  sua  fata  Judaei. 

Regarding  the  author's  life  very  little  is 
known.  He  was  born  in  Poland,  in  the  year 
1770 — the  exact  date  can  not  be  ascertained — 
and  died  in  London,  July  18,  1844.  Like  so 
many  of  his  compatriots,  he  early  acquired  a 
remarkable  proficiency  in  Hebrew  and  Rab- 
binic studies.  When  quite  a  young  man  he 
joined  his  father  in  England,  where  that  pious 
Talmudist  had  been  residing  for  some  time, 
and  set  about,  in  order  to  earn  his  livelihood 
as  a  teacher  of  Hebrew,  to  diligently  study  the 
English  language.  At  an  academy  conducted 
by  a  Christian  gentleman,  he  was  appointed 
to  take  charge  of  the  religious  training  of  sev- 
eral Jewish  children,  and  had  the  opportunity 
of  applying  himself  to  the  study  of  science  and 
the  classics.  His  assiduity,  "mildness  of  dis- 
position and  suavity  of  manners,"  soon  gained 
him  many  friends,  who  aided  him  in  the  es-> 


PREFACE  11 

tablishment  of  "The  Highgate  Academy,"  in 
1799,  over  which  institution  for  the  education 
of  the  young  he  continued  to  preside  for  a  pe- 
riod of  twenty-two  years.  In  May,  1821,  he 
was  compelled  to  retire,  owing  to  his  impaired 
health,  which  was  sufficiently  restored  to  enable 
him  to  take  up,  a  few  years  later,  the  duties  of 
his  new  appointment  as  Professor  of  Hebrew 
at  London  University  College.  This  was  a 
distinction  which  had  never  before  been  ac- 
corded to  a  Jew,  and  that  the  choice  was  a 
judicious  one  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  he 
remained  in  office  up  to  the  tune  of  his  death. 

We  are  told  by  his  biographer  that  he  was 
beloved,  esteemed,  and  respected  by  the  pro- 
fessors and  students,  as  well  as  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

"He  was  religious  without  bigotry;  benevo- 
lent without  ostentation;  learned  without  ego- 
tism; and  of  a  disposition  whose  reserve  bor- 
dered on  diffidence.  He  never  courted  the 
rich,  nor  condescended  to  flattery;  and  he  ever 
shunned  publicity."  Though  not  at  any  time 
active  in  congregational  affairs,  he  was  an 
honorary  member  of  the  vestry  of  the  Great 
Synagogue. 

Hurwitz's  literary  activity  extends  over 
thirty-five  years.  His  published  writings  do 
not  cover  a  very  wide  range,  but  they  bear 
ample  testimony  to  his  thoroughness  and  eru- 


12  PREFACE 

dition.  And  whether  he  wrote  Hebrew  verse 
or  English  prose,  on  grammar  or  exegesis  or 
apologetics,  his  graceful  style  made  the  perusal 
a  pleasure,  not  a  task.  In  addition  to  several 
treatises  on  the  rudiments  of  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage may  be  mentioned  his  Hebrew  elegy  on 
the  death  of  Princess  Charlotte — done  into 
English  verse  by  his  friend,  Coleridge;  the 
dirge  chanted  at  the  obsequies  of  George  III. — 
likewise  rendered  into  English  by  a  Christian 
friend,  W.  Smith;  the  metrical  Hebrew  version 
of  the  British  anthem,  "God  Save  the  King'*; 
his  "Vindiciae  Hebraicae" — in  which  he  blends 
"much  erudition,  elegance  of  style,  and  well- 
applied  wit";  his  "Letter  to  Isaac  Lyon  Gold- 
smith," in  defence  of  the  Jewish  religion;  and 
"An  introductory  lecture  delivered  at  the 
University  of  London,"  November  11,  1828 — 
which,  no  doubt,  is  the  date  of  his  induction 
into  office.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  he 
published  a  specimen  of  a  new  revised  Hebrew 
text  of  the  Bible,  in  1835,  and  that  he  super- 
vised the  printing  of  the  first  Hebrew  Bible 
in  the  United  States,  issued  by  William  Fry, 
in  Philadelphia,  1814.  In  this  connection,  it 
is  interesting  to  note  that  a  Hebrew  hymn, 
composed  by  Hurwitz,  and  set  to  music  by 
Louis  Leo,  was  chanted,  seven  years  after  the 
author's  death,  at  the  consecration  of  Temple 
B'nai  Jeshurun,  in  New  York  City. 


PREFACE  13 

His  fame,  however,  rests  chiefly  upon  his 
delightfully  written  "  Hebrew  Tales,"  of  which 
two  editions  were  printed  in  London,  in  the 
year  1826,  one  in  New  York,  in  1847,  and  an- 
other in  Edinburgh,  in  1863.  Four  separate 
editions  appeared  in  German,  and  one  or  two 
stories  were  published  in  French. 

Three  tales  were  furnished  for  the  collec- 
tion by  Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge,  who  appears 
to  have  been  somewhat  of  a  Hebraist,  since  he 
figures  as  the  translator  of  a  dirge,  from  the 
Hebrew  of  Hurwitz,  into  English.  Coleridge 
had  already  inserted  them  in  The  Friend,  and 
they  constitute  the  second,  third,  and  fourth, 
in  the  present  volume. 

That  this  admirable  anthology  had  a  dis- 
tinct purpose  to  serve  may  be  gleaned  from  the 
author's  prefatory  "Essay  on  the  still-existing 
remains  of  the  Hebrew  Sages  .  .  .  ,"  which 
had  already  appeared  as  a  separate  tract  in 
the  same  year.  It  is  unquestionably  a  "Ten- 
denzschrift,"  apologetic  and  expostulatory  in 
tone,  designed  to  defend  and  expound  the 
writings  and  traditions  of  the  Rabbis,  whose 
"instructive  parables  and  tales  .  .  .  are  so 
many  miniature  paintings  of  the  habits,  man- 
ners, and  modes  of  thinking,  of  an  ancient 
people  at  a  remote  period  of  antiquity"  ("  Es- 
say," London  ed.,  1826,  p.  81). 

Inasmuch   as  it  is   no   longer  necessary   to 


14  PREFACE 

assume  this  attitude  in  speaking  of  Jewish 
literature,  the  Essay  is  not  reprinted  in  the 
present  edition,  the  object  of  which  is  to  make 
accessible,  in  convenient  form,  Hurwitz's  classic 
" Tales."  Since  copies  of  the  little  book  are 
not  readily  obtained,  its  republication  is  cer- 
tainly justifiable. 

In  order  to  give  it  unity  of  interest,  the 
Editor  has  ventured  to  omit,  beside  the  "  Aphor- 
isms and  Apophthegms,"  printed  at  the  end  of 
the  original  edition,  a  number  of  items  which 
can  not  properly  be  classified  as  "tales,"  to- 
gether with  the  explanatory  notes.  How- 
ever, no  liberties  were  taken  with  the  text,  ex- 
cept to  modernize  the  orthography  of  proper 
names,  to  abbreviate  the  chapter-headings  and 
the  introductions  to  some  of  the  stories. 

The  references,  which  in  no  single  instance 
are  exact  or  complete,  have  been  carefully 
verified  and  amplified  by  the  Editor,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  they  may  prove  useful  to  students. 

GEORGE  ALEXANDER  KOHUT. 

NEW  YORK. 


HEBREW    TALES 


Moses  and  the  Lamb 

The  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mercies  are  over 
all  his  works. — Psalm  cxlv.  9. 

OUR  wise  instructors  relate,  that  while  Moses 
was  attending  Jethro's  flock  in  the  wilderness, 
a  lamb  strayed  from  the  herd.  Moses  en- 
deavored to  overtake  it,  but  it  ran  much  faster 
than  he,  till  it  came  near  a  fountain,  where  it 
suddenly  stopped,  and  took  a  draught  of  water. 
"Thou  little  dear  innocent  creature,"  said 
Moses,  "I  see  now  why  thou  didst  run  away. 
Had  I  known  thy  want,  on  my  shoulders  would 
I  have  carried  thee  to  the  fountain  to  assuage 
thy  thirst.  But,  come,  little  innocent,  I  will 
make  up  for  my  ignorance.  Thou  art,  no 
doubt,  fatigued  after  so  long  a  journey;  thou 
shalt  walk  no  further."  He  immediately  took 
the  little  creature  into  his  arms,  and  carried  it 
back  to  the  flock. 

The  Almighty  Father  of  Mercies — He  who 
diffused  those  precious  drops  of  pity  and  kind- 
ness over  the  human  heart,  approved  of  the 
deed;  and  a  heavenly  voice  was  heard  to  ex- 
claim, "Moses!  Benevolent  Moses!  If  a  dumb 

15 


16  HEBREW   TALES 

animal  thus  excite  thy  compassion,  how  much 
more  will  the  children  of  men!  What  wilt 
thou  not  do  for  thine  own  brethren!  Come, 
henceforth  thou  shalt  be  the  shepherd  of  my 
chosen  flock,  and  teach  them,  by  thy  example, 
'that,  the  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  that  his  mercies 
are  over  all  his  works."' 

Exodus  Rabba,  §  II. 

The  Value  of  a  Good  Wife 

Who  can  find  a  virtuous  woman?  for  her  price  is  far  above 
rubies. — Proverbs  xxxi.  10. 

SUCH  a  treasure  had  the  celebrated  teacher, 
Rabbi  Meir,  found.  He  sat  during  the  whole  of 
one  Sabbath  day  in  the  public  school,  and  in- 
structed the  people.  During  his  absence  from 
his  house,  his  two  sons,  both  of  them  of  un- 
common beauty  and  enlightened  in  the  law, 
died.  His  wife  bore  them  to  her  bed-chamber, 
laid  them  upon  the  marriage-bed,  and  spread  a 
white  covering  over  their  bodies.  Towards 
evening,  Rabbi  Meir  came  home.  "Where  are 
my  beloved  sons,"  he  asked,  "that  I  may  give 
them  my  blessing?"  "They  are  gone  to  the 
school,"  was  the  answer.  "I  repeatedly  looked 
round  the  school,"  he  replied,  "and  I  did  not 
see  them  there."  She  reached  him  a  goblet; 
he  praised  the  Lord  at  the  going  out  of  the 
Sabbath,  drank,  and  again  asked,  "Where  are 


HEBREW  TALES  17 

my  sons,  that  they  may  drink  of  the  cup  of 
blessing?  "  "They  will  not  be  far  off,"  she  said, 
and  placed  food  before  him,  that  he  might  eat. 
He  was  in  a  gladsome  and  genial  mood,  and 
when  he  had  said  grace  after  the  meal,  she 
thus  addressed  him: — "Rabbi,  with  thy  per- 
mission, I  would  fain  propose  to  thee  one 
question."  "  Ask  it,  then,  my  love!"  he  replied. 
"A  few  days  ago,  a  person  entrusted  some 
jewels  to  my  custody,  and  now  he  demands 
them  again:  should  I  give  them  back  again?" 
"This  is  a  question,"  said  Rabbi  Meir,  "which 
my  wife  should  not  have  thought  it  necessary 
to  ask.  What!  wouldst  thou  hesitate  or  be 
reluctant  to  restore  to  every  one  his  own?" 
"No,"  she  replied,  "but  yet  I  thought  it  best 
not  to  restore  them  without  acquainting  thee 
therewith."  She  then  led  him  to  their  cham- 
ber, and,  stepping  to  the  bed,  took  the  white 
covering  from  their  bodies.  "Ah,  my  sons! 
my  sons!"  thus  loudly  lamented  the  father: 
"My  sons!  the  light  of  mine  eyes,  and  the  light 
of  my  understanding;  I  was  your  father,  but 
ye  were  my  teachers  in  the  law!  "  The  mother 
turned  away,  and  wept  bitterly.  At  length, 
she  took  her  husband  by  the  hand,  and  said, 
"Rabbi,  didst  thou  not  teach  me  that  we  must 
not  be  reluctant  to  restore  that  which  was  en- 
trusted to  our  keeping?  See,  the  Lord  gave, 
the  Lord  has  taken  away,  and  blessed  be  the 


18  HEBREW  TALES 

name  of  the  Lord!"  "Blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord!"  echoed  Rabbi  Meir,  and  blessed  be 
his  name  for  thy  sake,  too !  for  well  is  it  written, 
'He  that  has  found  a  virtuous  woman,  has  a 
greater  treasure  than  costly  pearls.  She  openeth 
her  mouth  with  wisdom,  and  on  her  tongue  is 
the  instruction  of  kindness."1 

Yalkut  to  Proverbs,  XXXI;  §  964. 


The  Lord  Helpeth  Man  and  Beast 

The  Lord  helpeth  man  and  beast. — Psalm  xxxvi.  6. 

DURING  his  march  to  conquer  the  world, 
Alexander,  the  Macedonian,  came  to  a  people 
in  Africa  who  dwelt  in  a  remote  and  secluded 
corner,  in  peaceful  huts,  and  knew  neither  war 
nor  conqueror.  They  led  him  to  the  hut  of 
their  chief,  who  received  him  hospitably,  and 
placed  before  him  golden  dates,  golden  figs,  and 
bread  of  gold.  "Do  you  eat  gold  in  this  coun- 
try? "  said  Alexander.  "  I  take  it  for  granted," 
replied  the  chief,  "that  thou  wert  able  to  find 
eatable  food  in  thine  own  country.  For  what 
reason,  then,  art  thou  come  amongst  us?" 
"Your  gold  has  not  tempted  me  hither,"  said 
Alexander,  "but  I  would  become  acquainted 
with  your  manners  and  customs."  "So  be  it," 
rejoined  the  other:  "sojourn  among  us  as  long 
as  it  pleaseth  thee."  At  the  close  of  this  con- 


HEBREW  TALES  19 

versation,  two  citizens  entered,  as  into  their 
court  of  justice.  The  plaintiff  said,  "I  bought 
of  this  man  a  piece  of  land,  and  as  I  was  mak- 
ing a  deep  drain  through  it,  I  found  a  treasure. 
This  is  not  mine,  for  I  only  bargained  for  the 
land,  and  not  for  any  treasure  that  might 
be  concealed  beneath  it;  and  yet  the  former 
owner  of  the  land  will  not  receive  it."  The 
defendant  answered,  "I  hope  I  have  a  con- 
science, as  well  as  my  fellow  citizen.  I  sold 
him  the  land  with  all  its  contingent,  as  well  as 
existing  advantages,  and  consequently,  the 
treasure  inclusively." 

The  chief,  who  was  at  the  same  time  their 
supreme  judge,  recapitulated  their  words,  in 
order  that  the  parties  might  see  whether  or 
not  he  understood  them  aright.  Then,  after 
some  reflection,  said:  "Thou  hast  a  son,  friend, 
I  believe?"  "Yes."  "And  thou,"  addressing 
the  other,  "a  daughter?"  "Yes."  '"Well, 
then,  let  thy  son  marry  thy  daughter,  and  be- 
stow the  treasure  on  the  young  couple  for  a 
marriage  portion." 

Alexander  seemed  surprised  and  perplexed. 
"Think  you  my  sentence  unjust?"  the  chief 
asked  him.  "Oh,  no!"  replied  Alexander; 
"but  it  astonishes  me."  "And  how,  then,"  re- 
joined the  chief,  "would  the  case  have  been 
decided  in  your  country?"  "To  confess  the 
truth,"  said  Alexander,  "we  should  have  taken 


20  HEBREW  TALES 

both  parties  into  custody,  and  have  seized  the 
treasure  for  the  king's  use."  "For  the  king's 
use!"  exclaimed  the  chief;  "does  the  sun  shine 
on  that  country?"  "Oh,  yes!"  "Does  it 
rain  there?"  "Assuredly."  "Wonderful!  But 
are  there  tame  animals  in  the  country,  that  live 
on  the  grass  and  green  herbs?  "  "Very  many, 
and  of  many  kinds."  "Ay,  that  must,  then,  be 
the  cause,  "said  the  chief:  "for  the  sake  of  those 
innocent  animals  the  All-gracious  Being  con- 
tinues to  let  the  sun  shine,  and  the  rain  drop 
down  on  your  own  country ;  since  its  inhabitants 
are  unworthy  of  such  blessings." 

Tamid,  32a;  Yerush.  Baba  Mezia,  II,  8c;  Genesis 
Rabba,  §  XXXIII;  Pesikta  d.  R.  K.,  IX,  p.  74b- 
75a  (ed.  Buber);  Leviticus  Rabba,  §  XXVII;  Tan- 
huma,  Emor,  9. 


Conversation  of  a  Philosopher  with  a  Rabbi 

"YOUR  God  in  His  Book  calls  himself  a 
jealous  God,  who  can  endure  no  other  God 
beside  himself,  and  on  all  occasions  makes 
manifest  his  abhorrence  of  idolatry.  How 
comes  it,  then,  that  he  threatens  and  seems 
to  hate  the  worshippers  of  false  gods  more 
than  the  false  gods  themselves?  "  "A  certain 
king,"  replied  the  Rabbi,  "had  a  disobedient 
son.  Among  other  worthless  tricks  of  various 


HEBREW  TALES  21 

kinds,  he  had  the  baseness  to  give  to  his  dogs 
his  father's  name  and  titles.  Should  the  king 
show  his  anger  on  the  prince,  or  the  dogs?  " 
"Well  turned,"  replied  the  philosopher:  "but 
if  your  God  destroyed  the  objects  of  idolatry, 
he  would  take  away  the  temptation  to  it." 
"Yea,"  retorted  the  Rabbi,  "if  the  fools  wor- 
shipped such  things  only  as  were  of  no  further 
use  than  that  to  which  their  folly  applied 
them, — if  the  idols  were  always  as  worthless  as 
the  idolatry  is  contemptible.  But  they  wor- 
ship the  sun,  the  moon,  the  host  of  heaven,  the 
rivers,  the  sea,  fire,  air,  and  what  not.  Would 
you  that  the  Creator,  for  the  sake  of  these  fools, 
should  ruin  his  own  works,  and  disturb  the 
laws  appointed  to  nature  by  his  own  wisdom? 
If  a  man  steals  grain  and  sows  it,  should  the 
seed  not  shoot  up  out  of  the  earth,  because  it 
was  stolen?  Oh,  no!  the  wise  Creator  lets 
nature  run  her  own  course;  for  her  course  is 
his  own  appointment.  And  what  if  the  chil- 
dren of  folly  abuse  it  to  evil?  The  day  of  reck- 
oning is  not  far  off,  and  men  will  then  learn 
that  human  actions  likewise  reappear  in  their 
consequences,  by  as  certain  a  law  as  the  green 
blade  rises  up  out  of  the  buried  corn-seed." 

'Abodah  Zarah,  54b. 


22  HEBREW   TALES 


The  Princess  and  Rabbi  Joshua 

RABBI  JOSHUA,  the  son  of  Hananiah,  was 
one  of  those  men  whose  minds  are  far  more 
beautiful  than  their  bodies.  He  was  so  dark 
that  people  often  took  him  for  a  blacksmith, 
and  so  plain  as  almost  to  frighten  children. 
Yet  his  great  learnmg,  wit,  and  wisdom  had 
procured  him  not  only  the  love  and  respect  of 
the  people,  but  even  the  favor  of  the  Emperor 
Trajan.  Being  often  at  court,  one  of  the  Prin- 
cesses rallied  him  on  his  want  of  beauty.  "How 
comes  it,"  said  she,  "that  such  glorious  wisdom  is 
enclosed  in  so  mean  a  vessel?"  The  Rabbi,  no 
ways  dismayed,  requested  her  to  tell  him  in 
what  sort  of  vessels  her  father  kept  his  wine. 
"Why,  in  earthen  vessels,  to  be  sure,"  replied 
the  Princess.  "Oh!"  exclaimed  the  witty 
Rabbi,  "  this  is  the  way  that  ordinary  people 
do;  an  Emperor's  wine  ought  to  be  kept  in 
more  precious  vessels."  The  Princess,  thinking 
him  in  earnest,  ordered  a  quantity  of  wine  to 
be  emptied  out  of  the  earthen  jars  into  gold 
and  silver  vessels;  but,  to  her  yeat  surprise, 
found  it,  in  a  very  short  time,  sour,  and  unfit 
to  drink.  "Very  fine  advice,  indeed,  Joshua, 
hast  thou  given  me!"  said  the  Princess,  the 
next  time  she  saw  him;  "do  you  know  the  wine 
is  sour  and  spoiled?"  "Thou  art  then  con- 


HEBREW  TALES  23 

vinced,"  said  the  Rabbi,  "that  wine  keeps  best 
in  plain  and  mean  vessels.  It  is  even  so  with 
wisdom."  "But,"  continued  the  princess,  "I 
know  many  persons  who  are  both  wise  and 
handsome."  "True,"  replied  the  Sage,  "but 
they  would,  most  probably,  be  still  wiser  were 

they  less  handsome." 

Ta'anit,  7a;  Nedarim,  50b. 


Mercy  in  Judgment — A  Parable  of  Rabbi  Jochanan 

Rejoice  not  when  thine  enemy  falleth,  and  let  not  thine 
heart  be  glad  when  he  stumbleth. — Proverbs  xxiv.  17. 

RABBI  JOCHANAN  relates,  that  whilst  the 
Egyptians  were  drowning  in  the  Red  Sea,  the 
angels  wished  to  chant  the  song  of  praise; 
but  God  rebuked  them,  saying — "What!  the 
works  of  my  hand  are  perishing,  and  ye  wish 
to  sing!" 

Megillah,  lOb. 


This  fully  agrees  with  the  character  of  God, 
as  given  in  various  parts  of  Scripture;  where  he 
is  represented  as  the  God  of  mercy,  who  wishes 
not  the  destruction  of  the  wicked,  but  their 
repentance.  When,  therefore,  the  wickedness 
of  men  calls  down  just  punishment  upon  their 
guilty  heads,  it  ought  to  serve  as  a  warning, 
but  not  as  a  matter  of  joy. 


24  HEBREW  TALES 

Blessings  in  Disguise — An  Episode  in  the  Life  of 
R.  Akiba 

All  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth,  unto  such 
as  keep  his  covenant  and  his  testimonies. — Psalm  xxv.  10. 

COMPELLED,  by  violent  persecution,  to  quit 
his  native  land,  Rabbi  Akiba  wandered  over 
barren  wastes  and  dreary  deserts.  His  whole 
equipage  consisted  of  a  lamp,  which  he  used  to 
light  at  night,  in  order  to  study  the  law;  a  cock, 
which  served  him  instead  of  a  watch,  to  an- 
nounce to  him  the  rising  dawn;  and  an  ass  on 
which  he  rode. 

The  sun  was  gradually  sinking  beneath  the 
horizon,  night  was  fast  approaching,  and  the 
poor  wanderer  knew  not  where  to  shelter  his 
head,  or  where  to  rest  his  weary  limbs.  Fatigued 
and  almost  exhausted,  he  came  at  last  near 
a  village.  He  was  glad  to  find  it  inhabited; 
thinking  where  human  beings  dwelt,  there 
dwelt  also  humanity  and  compassion;  but  he 
was  mistaken.  He  asked  for  a  night's  lodging 
—it  was  refused.  Not  one  of  the  inhospita- 
ble inhabitants  would  accommodate  him.  He 
was,  therefore,  obliged  to  seek  shelter  in  a 
neighboring  wood.  "It  is  hard,  very  hard," 
said  he,  "not  to  find  a  hospitable  roof  to  pro- 
tect me  against  the  inclemency  of  the  weather; 
— but  God  is  just,  and  whatsoever  He  does  is  for 


HEBREW  TALES  25 

the  best."  He  seated  himself  beneath  a  tree, 
lighted  his  lamp,  and  began  to  read  the  Law. 
He  had  scarcely  read  a  chapter,  when  a  violent 
storm  extinguished  the  light.  "What,"  ex- 
claimed he,  "must  I  not  be  permitted  even  to 
pursue  my  favorite  study! — But  God  is  just, 
and  whatever  He  does  is  for  the  best." 

He  stretched  himself  on  the  bare  earth,  will- 
ing, if  possible,  to  have  a  few  hours'  sleep.  He 
had  hardly  closed  his  eyes,  when  a  fierce  wolf 
came  and  killed  the  cock.  "What  new  mis- 
fortune is  this?"  ejaculated  the  astonished 
Akiba.  "My  vigilant  companion  is  gone! 
Who,  then,  will  henceforth  awaken  me  to  the 
study  of  the  law?  But  God  is  just;  He  knows 
best  what  is  good  for  us  poor  mortals."  Scarcely 
had  he  finished  the  sentence,  when  a  terrible 
lion  came  and  devoured  the  ass.  "What  is 
to  be  done  now?"  exclaimed  the  lonely  wan- 
derer. "  My  lamp  and  my  cock  are  gone — my 
poor  ass,  too,  is  gone — all  is  gone!  But, 
praised  be  the  Lord,  whatever  He  does  is  for  the 
best !  "  He  passed  a  sleepless  night,  and  early 
in  the  morning  went  to  the  village  to  see 
whether  he  could  procure  a  horse,  or  any  other 
beast  of  burden,  to  enable  him  to  pursue  his 
journey.  But  what  was  his  surprise  not  to 
find  a  single  individual  alive! 

It  appears  that  a  band  of  robbers  had  en- 
tered the  village  during  the  night,  killed  its 


26  HEBREW  TALES 

inhabitants,  and  plundered  their  houses.  As 
soon  as  Akiba  had  sufficiently  recovered  from 
the  amazement  into  which  this  wonderful 
occurrence  had  thrown  him,  he  lifted  up  his 
voice,  and  exclaimed:  "Thou,  great  God,  the 
God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  now  I 
know  by  experience  that  poor  mortal  men  are 
short-sighted  and  blind;  often  considering  as 
evils  what  is  intended  for  their  preservation! 
But  thou  alone  art  just,  and  kind,  and  merci- 
ful! Had  not  the  hard-hearted  people  driven 
me,  by  their  inhospitality,  from  the  village, 
I  should  assuredly  have  shared  their  fate. 
Had  not  the  wind  extinguished  my  lamp,  the 
robbers  would  have  been  drawn  to  the  spot, 
and  have  murdered  me.  I  perceive,  also,  that 
it  was  Thy  mercy  which  deprived  me  of  my 
two  companions,  that  they  might  not,  by  their 
noise,  give  notice  to  the  banditti  where  I  was. 
Praised,  then,  be  thy  name,  for  ever  and  ever!  " 

Berakot,  60b. 


Intended  Divorce  and  Reconciliation 

Every  wise  woman  buildeth  her  house,  &c. — Prov.  xiv.  1. 

A  CERTAIN  Israelite  of  Sidon,  having  been 
married  above  ten  years  without  being  blessed 
with  offspring,  determined  to  be  divorced  from 
his  wife.  With  this  view  he  brought  her  be- 


HEBKEW   TALES  27 

fore  Rabbi  Simeon,  son  of  Yochai.  The  Rabbi, 
who  was  unfavorable  to  divorces,  endeavored 
at  first  to  dissuade  him  from  it.  Seeing  him, 
however,  disinclined  to  accept  his  advice,  he 
addressed  him  and  his  wife  thus: — "My  chil- 
dren, when  you  were  first  joined  in  the  holy 
bands  of  wedlock,  were  ye  not  rejoiced?  Did 
ye  not  make  a  feast  and  entertain  your  friends? 
Now,  since  ye  are  resolved  to  be  divorced,  let 
your  separation  be  like  your  union.  Go  home, 
make  a  feast,  entertain  your  friends,  and  on 
the  morrow  come  to  me,  and  I  will  comply  with 
your  wishes."  So  reasonable  a  request,  and 
coming  from  such  authority,  could  not,  with 
any  degree  of  propriety,  be  rejected.  They 
accordingly  went  home,  prepared  a  sumptuous 
entertainment,  to  which  they  invited  their 
several  friends.  During  the  hours  of  merri- 
ment, the  husband  being  elated  with  wine, 
thus  addressed  his  wife: — "  My  beloved,  we 
have  lived  together  happily  these  many,  many 
years;  it  is  only  for  the  want  of  children  which 
makes  me  wish  for  a  separation.  To  con- 
vince thee,  however,  that  I  bear  thee  no  ill- 
will,  I  give  thee  permission  to  take  with  thee 
out  of  my  house,  anything  thou  likest  best." 
"Be  it  so,"  rejoined  the  woman.  The  cup 
went  round,  the  people  were  merry;  and  having 
drunk  rather  freely,  most  of  the  guests  fell 
asleep;  and  among  them  the  master  of  the 


28  HEBREW   TALES 

feast.  The  lady  no  sooner  perceived  it,  than 
she  ordered  him  to  be  carried  to  her  father's 
house,  and  to  be  put  into  a  bed  prepared  for 
the  purpose.  The  fumes  of  the  wine  having 
gradually  evaporated,  the  man  awoke.  Find- 
ing himself  in  a  strange  place,  he  wondered  and 
exclaimed,  "  Where  am  I?  How  came  I  here? 
What  means  all  this?  "  His  wife,  who  had  wait- 
ed to  see  the  issue  of  her  stratagem,  stepped 
from  behind  a  curtain,  and  begging  him  not 
to  be  alarmed,  told  him  that  he  was  now  in 
her  father's  house.  "In  thy  father's  house!" 
exclaimed  the  still  astonished  husband;  "  how 
should  I  come  in  thy  father's  house?"  "Be 
patient,  my  dear  husband,"  replied  the  pru- 
dent woman;  "be  patient,  and  I  will  tell  thee 
all.  Recollect,  didst  thou  not  tell  me  last 
night,  I  might  take  out  of  thy  house  whatever 
I  valued  most?  Now,  believe  me,  my  beloved, 
among  all  thy  treasures  there  is  not  one  I  value 
so  much  as  I  do  thee ;  nay,  there  is  not  a  treasure 
in  this  world  I  esteem  so  much  as  I  do  thee." 
The  husband,  overcome  by  so  much  kindness, 
embraced  her,  was  reconciled  to  her,  and  they 
lived  thenceforth  very  happily  together. 

Midrash  Rabba  to  Canticles,  I,  4.     Pesikta  de  R.  K., 
XXII,  p.  147a  (ed.  Buber). 


HEBREW  TALES  29 

The  Heavenly  Lamp 

The  spirit  of  man  is  the  candle  of  the  Lord. — Prov.  xx.  27. 

RABBI  TANHUM  was  once  asked,  whether  it 
was  allowable  to  extinguish  a  candle  on  the 
Sabbath,  in  case  it  incommoded  a  sick  person. 
"What  a  question  you  ask!"  replied  the  Rabbi. 
"True,  you  call  a  burning  candle,  a  light,  so 
is  the  soul  of  man;  nay,  it  is  called  'a  heavenly 
light.'  Is  it  not  better  to  extinguish  an  earthly 
light,  than  a  heavenly  light?  " 

Shabbat,  30a. 


True  Charity  Knows  no  Law — Illustrated  by  a  Tale 
of  Rabbi  Tanchuma 

And  rend  your  hearts  and  not  your  garments. — Joel  ii.  13. 

IN  the  days  of  Rabbi  Tanchuma,  when,  in 
consequence  of  a  great  drought,  a  fast  had 
been  proclaimed,  the  people  fasted  several 
days,  but  no  rain  came.  The  Rabbi  then  ad- 
dressed them  thus: — "My  children,"  said  he, 
"if  you  wish  your  fast  to  be  acceptable  to  God, 
let  it  be  accompanied  by  acts  of  charity  and 
good-will."  The  people  opened  their  purses, 
and  distributed  money  to  the  poor  and  needy. 

While  thus  laudably  employed,  they  per- 
ceived a  man  give  some  money  to  a  poor 


30  HEBREW  TALES 

woman  who  had  formerly  been  his  wife,  but 
was  then  divorced  from  him.  Now,  as  the 
traditional  law  interdicted  every  familiar  in- 
tercourse between  the  parties  after  a  separa- 
tion had  once  taken  place,  the  people  foolishly 
imagined  that  such  interdiction  extended  even 
to  acts  of  charity;  and,  with  ignorant,  but 
vehement  zeal,  exclaimed,  "Rabbi!  Rabbi! 
what,  do  we  sit  idle  spectators,  and  here  is  a 
great  sin  committed?"  They  then  told  him 
what  they  had  observed.  The  good  Rabbi, 
who  wished  to  remove  so  destructive  a  pre- 
judice from  their  minds,  called  the  supposed 
offender  before  him,  and  questioned  him  about 
his  motive.  "  Master,"  said  the  charitable  Is- 
raelite, "it  is  true,  I  gave  this  poor  woman 
some  money.  I  saw  her  great  distress,  and 
my  heart  was  filled  with  compassion."  The 
virtuous  Rabbi  not  only  did  not  blame  this 
action,  but  greatly  admired  it;  and  in  order  to 
impress  on  the  minds  of  his  hearers  that  true 
charity  knows  no  limits,  no  bounds,  no  dis- 
tinction, took  care  to  incorporate  this  very  deed 
in  a  prayer  which  he  addressed  to  the  Al- 
mighty:— "Lord  of  all  worlds,"  exclaimed  the 
pious  Rabbi,  "if  the  distress  o/  this  woman, 
who  had  no  claim  on  the  bounty  of  him  that 
relieved  her,  excited  his  compassion,  we,  who 
are  the  works  of  thine  own  hands,  the  children 
of  thy  dearly  beloved  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 


HEBREW  TALES  31 

Jacob,  what  relief  may  we  not  expect  from 
Thee,  thou  Father  of  Mercies!"  God  heard 
his  prayers;  there  came  plenty  of  rain,  the 
earth  was  fertilized,  and  the  distressed  people 
relieved. 
Genesis  Rabba,  §  XXXIII;  Leviticus  Rabba,  §  XXXIV. 


Scripture  Impartiality  Vindicated  by  Rabbi  Jose 

"THE  author  of  the  books  you  call  holy," 
said  a  certain  Roman  matron  to  Rabbi  Jose, 
"  appears  to  me  very  partial  in  his  accounts  of 
past  events:  nay,  some  of  them  appear  in- 
credible. Is  it  possible  that  Joseph,  a  poor  and 
wretched  slave,  and  in  the  very  prime  of  youth, 
could  have  resisted  the  repeated  solicitations 
and  the  alluring  charms  of  his  rich,  powerful, 
and  enamoured  mistress?"  "Thou  wouldst 
not  have  spoken  thus,"  replied  Jose,  "hadst 
thou  read  the  books,  of  which  thou  appearest 
to  have  some  knowledge,  with  due  attention." 
He  then  reminded  her  of  the  narratives 
of  Reuben  and  Bilhah,  Judah  and  Tamar. 
" These  persons,"  continued  the  Rabbi,  "were 
superior  to  Joseph  in  age  and  in  dignity,  yet 
the  divine  Historian  did  not  conceal  their 
faults,  but  laid  them  open  to  the  view  of  their 
descendants."  It  is  the  peculiar  character- 
istic of  our  holy  books  to  represent  the  actions 


32  HEBREW  TALES 

of  our  ancestors  with  faithfulness  and  impar- 
tiality; neither  palliating  their  vices,  nor  ex- 
aggerating their  virtues;  that  posterity  might 
avoid  the  former,  and  imitate  the  latter. 

Genesis  Rabba,  §  LXXXVII. 


The  Honor  Due  to  Whatever  is  Truly  Useful 

RABBI  HUNA  once  asked  his  son  Raba,  why 
he  did  not  attend  the  lectures  of  Rabbi  Hisda. 
"Because,"  replied  the  son,  "he  only  treats 
of  temporal  and  worldly  concerns."  "What," 
said  the  father,  "he  occupies  himself  with 
that  which  is  necessary  for  the  preservation 
of  human  beings  * — and  this  you  call  worldly 
affairs!  Trust  me,  this  is  among  the  most 

estimable  of  studies." 

Shabbat,  82a. 


*Hisda's  Discourse,  of  which  the  young  man  spoke  so 
lightly,  happened  to  be  on  medicinal  subjects. 


HEBREW  TALES  33 


To  Insult  Poverty  or  Natural  Defect,  no  Venial 
Crime 

Whoso  mocketh  the  poor,  reproacheth  his  Maker. — Prov. 
xvii.  4. 

Despise  not  the  poor,  thou  knowest  not  how  soon  it  may 
be  thine  own  lot. 

Despise  not  the  deformed,  their  defects  are  not  of  their 
own  seeking,  and  why  shouldst  thou  add  insult  to  misfortune? 

Despise  no  creature;  the  most  insignificant  is  the  work 
of  thy  Maker. 

RABBI  SIMEON,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  return- 
ing from  his  master's  residence  to  his  native 
place,  was  highly  elated  with  the  great  knowl- 
edge he  had  acquired.  On  his  way,  he  over- 
took a  singularly  unshapely  and  misfeatured 
person,  who  was  travelling  to  the  same  town. 
The  stranger  saluted  him  by  saying, — "Peace 
be  upon  thee,  Rabbi."  Simeon,  proud  of  his 
learning,  instead  of  returning  the  civility,  no- 
ticed only  the  traveller's  deformity;  and  by 
way  of  joke,  said  to  him, — "Racca,*  are  the 
inhabitants  of  thy  town  all  as  misshapen 
as  thou  art?"  The  stranger,  astonished  at 
Simeon's  want  of  manners,  and  provoked  by 
the  insult,  replied — "I  do  not  know;  but  thou 
hadst  better  make  these  inquiries  of  the  great 
Artist  that  made  me."  The  Rabbi  perceived 

*  A  term  of  reproach. 


34  HEBREW  TALES 

his  error,  and  alighting  from  the  animal  on 
which  he  rode,  threw  himself  at  the  stranger's 
feet,  and  entreated  him  to  pardon  a  fault  com- 
mitted in  the  wantonness  of  his  heart,  and 
which  he  most  sincerely  regretted.  "No," 
said  the  stranger,  "go  first  to  the  Artist  that  made 
me,  and  tell  him,  Great  Artist,  0  !  what  an  ugly 
vessel  thou  hast  produced!"  Simeon  continued 
his  entreaties;  the  stranger  persisted  in  his 
refusal.  In  the  mean  time  they  arrived  at  the 
Rabbi's  native  city.  The  inhabitants  being 
apprised  of  his  arrival,  came  in  crowds  to  meet 
him,  exclaiming — " Peace  be  upon  thee,  Rabbi! 
Welcome,  our  Instructor!"  "Whom  do  ye 
call  Rabbi?"  asked  the  stranger.  The  people 
pointed  to  Simeon.  "And  him  ye  honor  with 
the  name  of  Rabbi!"  continued  the  poor  man; 
"0!  may  Israel  not  produce  many  like  him!" 
He  then  related  what  had  happened.  "He 
has  done  wrong;  he  is  aware  of  it,"  said  the 
people;  "do  forgive  him;  for  he  is  a  great  man, 
well-versed  in  the  Law."  The  stranger  then 
forgave  him,  and  intimated  that  his  long  re- 
fusal had  no  other  object  than  that  of  impress- 
ing the  impropriety  on  the  Rabbi's  mind. 
The  learned  Simeon  thanked  him;  and  whilst 
he  held  out  his  own  conduct  as  a  warning  to 
the  people,  he  justified  that  of  the  stranger,  by 
saying — "That  though  a  person  ought  ever  to 
be  as  flexible  as  a  reed,  and  not  as  stubborn  as 


HEBREW  TALES  35 

a  cedar,  yet  to  insult  poverty  or  natural  defect 
is  no  venial  crime;  and  one  that  we  cannot  ex- 
pect to  be  readily  pardoned." 

Ta'anit,  20a-b. 


Liberality  Grounded  on  Religion  not  to  be  Con- 
quered by  Reverse  of  Fortune — Exemplified 
in  Abba  Judan 

A  man's  gift  maketh  room  for  him,  and  bringeth  him  be- 
fore the  great  men. — Prov.  xviii.  16. 

RABBI  ELIEZER,  Rabbi  Joshua,  and  Rabbi 
Akiba  travelled  about  annually  in  the  land  of 
Israel,  to  collect  money  for  the  poor.  Among 
their  many  and  various  contributors,  none 
gave  more  liberally,  nor  with  more  cheerful- 
ness, than  Abba  Judan,  who  was  then  in  very 
affluent  circumstances.  Fortune,  however, 
took  a  turn.  A  dreadful  storm  destroyed  the 
fruits  of  his  grounds;  a  raging  pestilence  swept 
away  the  greater  part  of  his  flocks  and  herds; 
and  his  extensive  fields  and  vineyards  became 
the  prey  of  his  greedy  and  inexorable  creditors. 
Of  all  his  vast  possessions,  nothing  was  left 
him  but  one  small  plot  of  ground.  Such  a 
sudden  reverse  of  fortune  was  enough  to  de- 
press any  ordinary  mind.  But  Abba  Judan, 
on  whose  heart  the  Divine  precepts  of  his  holy 
religion  had  been  early  and  deeply  imprinted, 


36  HEBREW  TALES 

patiently  submitted  to  his  lot.  "The  Lord," 
said  he,  "gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away; 
—let  his  name  be  praised  for  ever."  He  dili- 
gently applied  to  cultivate  the  only  field  he 
had  left,  and  by  dint  of  great  labor,  and  still 
greater  frugality,  he  contrived  to  support  him- 
self and  family  decently;  and  was,  notwith- 
standing his  poverty,  cheerful  and  contented. 
The  year  passed  on.  One  evening,  as  he  was 
sitting  at  the  door  of  his  miserable  hut,  to  rest 
from  the  labors  of  the  day,  he  perceived  the 
Rabbis  coming  at  a  distance.  It  was  then  that 
his  former  greatness  and  his  present  deplor- 
able condition  at  once  rushed  upon  his  mind; 
and  he  felt  for  the  first  time  the  pangs  of  pov- 
erty. ' '  What  was  Abba  Judan ! ' '  exclaimed  he ; 
"and  what  is  he  now?"  Pensive  and  melan- 
choly, he  seated  himself  in  the  corner  of  his 
hut.  His  wife  perceived  the  sudden  change. 
"What  ails  my  beloved?"  asked  she  tenderly; 
"art  thou  not  well? — tell  me,  that  I  may  ad- 
minister to  thy  relief."  "Would  to  God  it 
were  in  thy  power — but  the  Lord  alone  can 
heal  the  wounds  which  he  inflicts,"  replied 
the  distressed  man.  "Dost  thou  not  remem- 
ber the  days  of  our  prosperity,  when  our  corn 
fed  the  hungry — our  fleece  clothed  the  naked— 
and  our  oil  and  wine  refreshed  the  drooping 
spirit  of  the  afflicted?  The  orphans  came  round 
us  and  blessed  us — and  the  widow's  heart  sang 


HEBREW  TALES  37 

for  joy.  Then  did  we  taste  those  heavenly 
pleasures  which  are  the  lot  of  the  good  and 
charitable.  But  now,  alas!  we  cannot  relieve 
the  fatherless,  nor  him  who  wants  help;  we 
are  ourselves  poor  and  wretched.  Seest  thou 
not  yonder  good  men  coming  to  make  the 
charitable  collection?  They  will  call — but 
what  have  we  to  give  them?"  "Do  not 
repine,  dear  husband,"  rejoined  his  virtuous 
wife,  "we  have  still  one  field  left;  suppose  we 
sell  half  of  it,  and  give  the  money  for  the  use 
of  the  poor?"  A  beam  of  joy  overspread  the 
good  man's  countenance.  He  followed  his 
wife's  advice,  sold  half  the  field,  and  when  the 
collectors  called,  he  gave  them  the  money. 
They  accepted  it,  and  as  they  departed,  said  to 
him :  "  May  the  Lord  restore  thee  to  thy  former 
prosperity!"  Abba  Judan  resumed  his  former 
spirits,  and  with  it  his  wonted  diligence.  He 
went  to  plough  the  small  spot  of  ground  still 
left  him.  As  he  was  pursuing  his  work,  the 
foot  of  the  ox  that  drew  the  ploughshare  sunk 
into  the  ground,  and  the  beast  was  maimed. 
In  endeavoring  to  relieve  the  animal  from  its 
perilous  situation,  he  saw  something  glittering 
in  the  hollow  which  the  foot  had  made.  This 
excited  his  attention;  he  dug  the  hole  deeper, 
and,  to  his  great  astonishment  and  no  less  joy, 
found  an  immense  treasure  concealed  in  the 
very  spot.  He  took  it  home,  removed  from  the 


38  HEBREW  TALES 

wretched  hovel  in  which  he  lived,  into  a  very 
fine  house;  repurchased  the  lands  and  pos- 
sessions which  his  ancestors  had  left  him,  and 
which  his  former  distress  had  obliged  him  to 
sell;  and  added  greatly  to  them.  Nor  did  he 
neglect  the  poor.  He  again  became  a  father  to 
the  fatherless,  and  a  blessing  to  the  unfortunate. 
The  time  arrived,  when  the  before-mentioned 
Rabbis  came,  as  usual,  to  make  their  collec- 
tion. Not  finding  their  generous  contributor 
in  the  place  where  he  had  resided  the  year  be- 
fore, they  addressed  themselves  to  some  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  village,  and  asked  them 
whether  they  could  tell  them  what  had  become 
of  Abba  Judan,  and  how  he  was.  "Abba 
Judan!"  exclaimed  they,  "the  good  and  gen- 
erous Abba  Judan!  who  is  like  him  in  riches, 
charity,  and  goodness? — See  you  yonder  flocks 
and  herds?  they  belong  to  Abba  Judan.  Those 
vast  fields,  flourishing  vineyards,  and  beau- 
tiful gardens?  they  belong  to  Abba  Judan. 
Those  fine  buildings?  they  also  belong  to  Abba 
Judan."  Whilst  they  were  thus  discoursing, 
the  good  man  happened  to  pass  that  way. 
The  wise  men  greeted  him,  and  asked  him  how 
he  did.  "Masters,"  said  he,  "your  prayers 
have  produced  plenty  of  fruit,  —come  to  my 
house  and  partake  of  it.  I  will  make  up 
the  deficiency  of  last  year's  subscription." 
They  followed  him  to  his  house,  where,  after 


HEBREW  TALES  39 

entertaining  them  nobly,  he  gave  them  a  very 
handsome  present  for  the  poor.  They  ac- 
cepted it,  and  taking  out  the  subscription  list 
of  the  preceding  year — "See,"  said  they  to 
him,  "though  many  exceeded  thee  in  their  do- 
nations, yet  we  have  placed  thee  at  the  very 
top  of  the  list,  convinced  that  the  smallness 
of  thy  gift  at  that  time  arose  from  want  of 
means — not  from  want  of  inclination.  It  is 
to  men  like  thou  art  that  the  wise  king  alluded, 
when  he  said:  'A  man's  gift  maketh  room  for 
him  and  bringeth  him  before  the  great  men.": 

Yerushalmi    Horayot,    III,    48a;    Leviticus    Rabba, 
§  V;  Deuteronomy  Rabba,  §  IV. 


On  Pretended  Majorities 

"!T  is  declared  in  your  law,"  said  a  heathen 
once  to  Rabbi  Joshua,  the  son  of  Karha,  "that 
in  matters  where  unanimity  cannot  be  ob- 
tained, you  ought  to  follow  the  majority;  and 
you  allow  that  we  heathen  are  more  numerous 
than  you  are;  then  why  do  you  not  follow  our 
mode  of  worship?"  "Before  I  answer  thy  in- 
terrogation," replied  the  Rabbi,  "permit  me  to 
ask  thee  a  question:  Hast  thou  any  children?" 
"Alas!"  exclaimed  the  heathen,  "thou  re- 
mindest  me  of  the  greatest  of  my  troubles." 


40  HEBREW  TALES 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  asked  Joshua. 
' ' I  will  tell  thee, ' '  replied  the  heathen :  "I  have 
many  sons;  generally  speaking,  they  live  pretty 
peaceably  together;  but  when  meal-time  arrives, 
and  prayers  are  to  commence,  each  wishes  to 
adore  his  god  in  his  own  way.  One  invokes 
Jupiter,  another  Mars,  another  Neptune.  Each 
extols  him  whom  he  wishes  to  adore,  and  insists 
on  his  superiority.  From  words  they  often  come 
to  blows;  so  that  instead  of  having  a  comfort- 
able meal,  we  have  nothing  but  confusion  and 
quarrels."  "And  why  dost  thou  not  endeavor 
to  reconcile  them?"  asked  Joshua.  "I  might 
as  well,"  said  the  heathen,  "attempt  to  recon- 
cile fire  and  water,  or  to  smoothen  the  tur- 
bulent waves  of  the  ocean."  "I  truly  pity 
thee,"  said  the  Rabbi;  "thy  neighbors  are,  per- 
haps, more  fortunate?"  "Not  at  all,"  replied 
the  heathen,  "unless  they  be  childless: — other- 
wise the  same  cause  produces  the  same  effect." 
"And  yet,"  exclaimed  Joshua,  "thou  callest 
this  a  majority — whose  worship  thou  fain 
wouldst  recommend  to  us!  Be  advised  by 
me,  good  man,  and  before  thou  attemptest  to 
reconcile  others  to  such  a  mode  of  worship, 
first  reconcile  the  worshippers  amongst  them- 
selves." 

Leviticus  Rabba,  §  IV,  at  the  end. 


HEBREW  TALES  41 

On  the  Mood  of  Mind  that  will  Render  the  Con- 
sequences of  Improper  Actions  the  Atone- 
ment for  Them 

My  son,  despise  not  the  chastening  of  the  Lord;  neither 
be  weary  of  his  correction.  For  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he 
correcteth;  even  as  a  father  the  son  in  whom  he  delighteth. 
— Prov.  iii.  11,  12. 

FEW  men  pass  through  life  without  meeting 
with  many  and  various  calamities.  Under 
such  circumstances,  it  behooves  us  to  bear 
affliction  with  fortitude,  and  to  resign  our- 
selves to  the  will  of  God,  who  corrects  as  a 
kind  father  does  his  children,  not  with  a  view 
of  inflicting  pain,  but  for  the  purpose  of  amend- 
ment. This  is  what  the  royal  moralist  in- 
culcated, and  which  Rabbi  Nahum  confirmed 
by  his  own  conduct,  under  the  severest  suffer- 
ings. 

It  is  related  of  this  pious  man  *  that  he  was 
blind  and  lame,  unable  to  use  his  hands,  his 
whole  body  was  distempered,  and  his  feet  were 
so  sore  that  they  were  obliged  to  be  immersed  in 
a  large  basin  of  water,  to  keep  off  the  insects. 
The  house  he  lived  in  was  in  so  ruinous  a  state 
that  his  disciples,  fearing  lest  it  should  tumble 

*  He  was  surnamed  Gamzu,  which  signifies,  this  also;  be- 
cause, whatever  happened  to  him,  he  used  to  say,  this  is  also 
for  some  good  purpose. 


42  HEBREW  TALES 

over  their  master 's  head,  wished  to  remove  him 
to  another  dwelling.  "  Remove  the  furniture 
first,"  said  the  afflicted  man;  "then  remove  me; 
for  I  am  confident  the  house  will  not  give  way 
as  long  as  I  remain  in  it."  They  did  so;  and 
no  sooner  had  they  removed  the  patient,  when 
the  house  fell  in,  and  became  a  complete  ruin. 
"Since  thou  art  so  good  a  man  as  to  be  worthy 
of  the  special  protection  of  Providence,"  said 
his  disciples,  "how  comes  it  that  thou  art  thus 
afflicted?'''  "I  will  tell  you,  my  children,"  re- 
plied their  pious  instructor.  "I  once  went  to 
pay  a  visit  to  my  father-in-law;  I  took  with 
me,  as  a  present,  three  asses;  one  laden  with 
various  sorts  of  eatables,  one  with  wine,  and 
the  third  with  various  sorts  of  sweetmeats. 
Arriving  not  far  from  the  place  of  my  destina- 
tion, a  poor  man,  wretched,  and  almost  starved, 
accosted  me.  'Master,'  cried  he,  'Oh!  relieve 
my  distress.'  'Wait,'  answered  I,  'until  I  have 
unloaded  the  asses.'  This  took  up  some  time; 
and  scarcely  had  I  finished  unloading  the  ani- 
mals, when  the  poor  man  dropped  down  dead 
before  me.  My  conscience  began  to  upbraid 
me.  'Poor  lamented  man/  said  I,  'a  little 
more  promptness  might  have  saved  thee;  my 
inconsiderate  delay  has  killed  thee!'  I  then 
threw  myself  on  his  dead  body,  and  exclaimed : 
'  Oh !  ye  eyes  that  could,  but  would  not,  look  at 
the  distress  of  the  poor  man,  may  ye  be  de- 


HEBREW  TALES  43 

prived  of  the  light  of  day.  Ye  hands  that 
would  not  reach  him  timely  relief,  Oh!  may  ye 
have  no  more  your  wonted  use.  Ye  legs  that 
did  not  quickly  run  to  his  assistance,  may  ye 
no  more  be  able  to  perform  your  usual  office. 
May  this  body,  too,  which  did  not  feel  com- 
passion for  the  wretchedness  and  misery  of 
that  lifeless  body,  feel  the  affliction  it  would 
not  relieve.'  As  I  said,  so  it  happened.  This, 
then,  is  the  cause  of  my  misery."  The  dis- 
ciples, moved  by  this  sad  recital,  but  still  more 
by  their  master's  dreadful  sufferings,  ex- 
claimed: "Woe  be  to  us,  to  see  thee  in  a  con- 
dition so  deplorable!"  "It  would  be  much 
worse  for  me,"  replied  their  heroic  instruc- 
tor, "were  you  not  to  see  me  in  this  condition." 
Intimating  that  he  willingly  endured  his  pres- 
ent sufferings,  as  an  atonement  for  his  former 
sins,  in  the  hope  of  enjoying,  in  the  next  world, 
that  bliss  which  is  reserved  for  the  good  and 
the  righteous.  21&> 


The  Seven  Ages 

THEEE  are  few  persons  who  have  not 
read  Shakspeare's  beautiful  description  of  the 
Seven  Ages  of  Man.  An  ancient  Hebrew  sage 
has  given  us  his  thoughts  on  the  same  subject. 
His  language  may  not  appear  so  elegant  as 


44  HEBREW  TALES 

that  of  the  inimitable  bard,  but  his  sentiments 
are  equally  just,  and  certainly  more  edifying. 

Seven  times  in  one  verse  (said  Rabbi  Simon, 
the  son  of  Eliezer)  did  the  author  of  Ecclesi- 
astes  make  use  of  the  word  vanity*  in  allusion 
to  the  seven  stages  of  human  life. 

The  first  commences  in  the  first  year  of 
human  existence,  when  the  infant  lies  like  a 
king  on  a  soft  couch,  with  numerous  attend- 
ants about  him — all  ready  to  serve  him,  and 
eager  to  testify  their  love  and  attachment  by 
kisses  and  embraces. 

The  second  commences  about  the  age  of  two 
or  three  years,  when  the  darling  child  is  per- 
mitted to  crawl  on  the  ground  and,  like  an 
unclean  animal,  delights  in  dirt  and  filth. 

Then,  at  the  age  of  ten,  the  thoughtless  boy, 
without  reflecting  on  the  past,  or  caring  for  the 
future,  jumps  and  skips  about  like  a  young 
kid  on  the  enamelled  green,  contented  to  enjoy 
the  present  moment. 

The  fourth  stage  begins  about  the  age  of 
twenty,  when  the  young  man,  full  of  vanity 
and  pride,  begins  to  set  off  his  person  by  dress; 
and,  like  a  young,  unbroken  horse,  prances  and 
gallops  about  in  search  of  a  wife. 

*  Eccles.  i.  2. — The  word  occurs  twice  in  the  plural,  which 
the  Rabbi  considered  as  equivalent  to  four,  and  three  times 
in  the  singular,  making  together  seven. 


HEBREW  TALES  45 

Then  comes  the  matrimonial  state,  when  the 
poor  man,  like  the  patient  ass,  is  obliged,  how- 
ever reluctantly,  to  toil  and  labor  for  a  living. 

Behold  him  now  in  the  parental  state,  when, 
surrounded  by  helpless  children  craving  his 
support,  and  looking  to  him  for  bread,  he  is 
as  bold,  as  vigilant — and  as  fawning,  too — as 
the  faithful  dog;  guarding  his  little  flock,  and 
snatching  at  everything  that  comes  in  his  way, 
in  order  to  provide  for  his  offspring. 

At  last  comes  the  final  stage,  when  the  de- 
crepit old  man,  like  the  unwieldy  though  saga- 
cious elephant,  becomes  grave,  sedate,  and 
distrustful.  He  then,  also,  begins  to  hang 
down  his  head  toward  the  ground,  as  if  sur- 
veying the  place  where  all  his  vast  schemes 
must  terminate,  and  where  ambition  and 
vanity  are  finally  humbled  to  the  dust. 

Ecclesiastes  Rabba  I,  2;  Yalkut  to  Eccles.  I,  2;  Mid- 
rash  Tanhuma,  §  Pikude;  Midrash  ha-Gadol  to 
Genes,  ii.  2  (ed.  Schechter,  pp.  60-61);  cp.  also 
Seder  Yezirat  ha-Velad,  in  Jellinek's  Beth  Hami- 
drash,  I,  154-155,  and  the  parallels  cited  by  G. 
A.  Kohut,  in  "Jewish  Encyclopedia,"  I,  pp.  233-235. 


46  HEBREW  TALES 


Incorruptible  Treasures 

In  the  way  of  righteousness  there  is  life;  and  in  the  pathway 
thereof  there  is  no  death. — Prov.  xii.  23. 

DURING  the  reign  of  king  Monobaz,  there 
happened  to  be  a  most  grievous  famine.  The 
people  had  parted  with  their  all,  and  were  in 
the  utmost  distress.  The  king,  touched  by 
their  affliction,  ordered  his  minister  to  expend 
the  treasures  which  he  and  his  ancestors  had 
amassed,  in  the  purchase  of  corn  and  other 
necessaries  of  life,  and  to  distribute  them 
among  the  poor  and  needy.  The  king's 
brothers,  who  were  not  of  a  very  generous  dispo- 
sition, grieved  to  see  such  vast  sums  of  money  ex- 
pended, reproached  him  with  want  of  economy. 
"Thy  forefathers,"  said  they,  "took  care  to 
add  to  the  treasures  which  their  ancestors  had 
left  them,  but  thou — thou  not  only  dost  not 
add,  but  dost  squander  what  they  have  left 
thee."  ' '  You  are  mistaken,  my  dear  brethren," 
replied  the  virtuous  and  generous  king;  "I, 
too,  preserve  treasures,  as  my  ancestors  did 
before  me.  The  only  difference  ?s  this: — they 
preserved  earthly,  but  I,  heavenly  treasures. 
They  placed  theirs  where  any  one  might  lay 
hold  of  them — mine  are  preserved  in  a  place 
where  no  human  hand  can  touch  them.  What 
they  preserved  yielded  no  fruit;  that  which  I 


HEBREW  TALES  47 

preserve  will  yield  fruit  in  abundance.  They 
preserved,  indeed,  gold  and  silver;  but  I  have 
preserved  lives.  What  they  amassed  was  for 
others;  what  I  amass  is  for  my  own  use: — in 
short,  they  treasured  up  things  useful  for  this 
world — my  treasures  will  be  useful  in  the  next 
world." 

Baba  Batra,    lla;  Yerushalmi  Peah,   I,   1;   Tosefta 
Peah,  §  IV. 


Table  Talk  of  the  Sages  of  Israel 

WHEN  the  son  of  Gamaliel  was  married, 
Rabbi  Eliezer,  Joshua,  and  Zadoc  were  invited 
to  the  marriage  feast.  Gamaliel,  though  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  men  among  the 
Israelites,  waited  himself  on  his  guests;  and, 
pouring  out  a  cup  of  wine,  handed  it  to  Eliezer, 
who  politely  refused  it.  Gamaliel  then  handed 
it  to  Joshua.  The  latter  accepted  it.  "How 
is  this,  friend  Joshua?"  said  Eliezer,  "shall  we 
sit,  and  permit  so  great  a  man  to  wait  on  us?" 
"Why  not?"  replied  Joshua;  "a  man  even 
greater  than  he  did  so  long  before  him.  Was 
not  our  father,  Abraham,  a  very  great  man?— 
yet,  even  he  waited  upon  his  guests,  as  it  is 
written — And  he  (Abraham)  stood  by  them  whilst 
they  were  eating.  Perhaps  you  may  think  he 
did  so,  because  he  knew  them  to  be  angels; — 
no  such  thing.  He  supposed  them  to  be 


48  HEBREW  TALES 

Arabian  travellers,  else  he  would  neither  have 
offered  them  water  to  wash  their  feet,  nor 
viands  to  allay  their  hunger.  Why,  then,  shall 
we  prevent  our  kind  host  from  imitating  so  ex- 
cellent an  example?"  "I  know,"  exclaimed 
Rabbi  Zadoc,  "a  being  still  greater  than  Abra- 
ham, who  doth  the  same."  "Indeed,"  con- 
tinued he,  "how  long  shall  we  be  engaged  in 
reciting  the  praises  of  created  beings,  and 
neglect  the  glory  of  the  Creator!  Even  He, 
blessed  be  His  name,  causes  the  winds  to  blow, 
the  clouds  to  accumulate,  and  the  rain  to 
descend:  He  fertilizes  the  earth,  and  daily 
prepares  a  magnificent  table  for  His  creatures. 
Why,  then,  shall  we  hinder  our  kind  host, 
Gamaliel,  from  following  so  glorious  an  ex- 
ample?" 

Kiddushin,  32  b;    Sifre  to  Deuteronomy,  ch.  xxxviii. 


Destruction  of  Wickedness,  the  Best  Way  of 
Destroying  Wicked  Men 

She  openeth  her  mouth  with  wisdom,  and  in  her  tongue  is 
the  law  of  kindness. — Prov.  xxxi.  26. 

RABBI  MEIR  had  some  very  troublesome 
neighbors,  who  took  the  greatest  delight  in  do- 
ing him  every  mischief  in  their  power.  Vexed 
with  their  outrageous  conduct,  he  prayed  that 
God  might  destroy  them.  His  wife  heard  him: 


HEBREW  TALES  49 

"Dear  husband,"  said  she,  " would  it  not  be 
better  to  pray  for  their  reform?  Recollect  that 
king  David  did  not  pray  for  the  destruction  of 
sinners,  but  of  sin,  as  it  is  written,  'Let  sin  be 
consumed  out  of  the  earth,  and  the  wicked  will  be 
no  more.'  (Psalm  civ.  35.)  Pray,  then,  for 
their  repentance,  not  for  their  destruction." 
The  good  Rabbi  approved  of  the  advice  of  his 
wife,  and  thenceforth  prayed  that  God  might 
enlighten  the  minds  of  his  troublesome  neigh- 
bors, and  reform  their  hearts. 

Berakot,  lOa. 


The  Meek  and  the  Haughty.    The  Contrast 

Exemplified  in  the  Conduct  of  Shammai 

and  Hillel 

AUSTERITY  of  manners  and  harshness  of  dis- 
position are  the  graceless  offspring  of  pride  and 
arrogance.  Like  a  chilling  frost  they  repel  and 
contract  whatever  comes  near  them;  and,  like 
a  dark  cloud,  they  obscure  and  deform  the  most 
shining  talents  and  the  greatest  learning; 
whereas,  humility  and  meekness  are  the  lovely 
children  of  humanity  and  benevolence.  Like 
the  mild  rays  of  the  sun,  they  warm  and  expand 
whatever  comes  within  the  circle  of  their  in- 
fluence. They  sweetly  allure  the  hearts  of 
men,  throw  a  splendor  on  the  most  humble, 

4 


50  HEBREW  TALES 

and    are   the    best    ornaments    of  the    truly 
great. 

The  truth  of  these  maxims  we  find  fully 
exemplified  in  the  conduct  of  two  Hebrew  sages, 
who  flourished  in  the  time  of  Herod  (misnamed) 
the  Great.  Shammai,  though  a  man  of  great 
learning,  was  of  a  morose  temper.  Hillel,  hi 
addition  to  his  great  knowledge,  possessed  the 
virtues  of  humility  and  meekness,  in  an  eminent 
degree.  It  happened  that  a  heathen  came  to 
the  former,  and  thus  addressed  him: — "I  wish 
to  become  a  proselyte,  on  condition  that  thou 
dost  teach  me  the  whole  law,  while  I  stand 
upon  one  leg."  The  morose  teacher,  offended 
at  so  unreasonable  a  request,  pushed  the  appli- 
cant away,  with  the  staff  he  held  in  his  hand. 
The  heathen  went  to  Hillel,  and  made  the  same 
application.  The  amiable  instructor  complied 
with  his  request,  and  told  him — "Remember, 
whatever  thou  dislikest  thyself,  do  not  unto  thy 
neighbors.  This  is  the  substance  of  the  law; 
everything  else  is  but  its  comment:  now  go 
and  learn."  The  heathen  thanked  him,  and 
became  a  good  and  pious  man. 

Shabbat,  31a;  Abot  de-Rabbi  Natan,  recension  B, 
ch.  XXVI  (ed.  Schechter,  p.  53). 


HEBREW  TALES  51 

Another  Example;    or,  the  Heathen  and  the 
Hebrew  Sages 

IT  happened  at  another  time,  that  a  heathen 
passing  a  synagogue,  heard  the  Sofer  (clerk) 
read  the  following  words: — "And  these  are  the 
garments  which  they  shall  make:  a  breast-plate, 
and  an  ephod,  and  a  robe,  and  a  broidered  coat,  a 
mitre,  and  a  girdk,"  etc.  (Exod.  xxviii.  4.) 
The  heathen  asked  for  whom  all  these  fine 
garments  were  intended.  "For  the  high- 
priest,"  was  the  answer.  As  soon  as  the  heathen 
heard  this,  he  went  to  Shammai,  and  said, 
"Master,  I  wish  to  become  a  proselyte,  but 
on  condition  that  I  be  made  a  high-priest." 
Shammai  drove  him  away  with  contempt.  He 
applied  to  Hillel,  and  made  the  same  request. 
This  mild  instructor  of  Israel  received  him 
courteously,  and  thus  addressed  him: — "Friend, 
hast  thou  ever  known  a  king  to  be  elected  with- 
out being  first  instructed  in  the  rules  of  gov- 
ernment? Whoever  wishes  to  be  high-priest 
must  first  be  made  acquainted  with  the  rules 
belonging  to  so  dignified  an  office.  Come,  then, 
and  learn."  He  then  taught  him  the  18th 
chapter  of  Numbers.  When  they  came  to  the 
7th  verse,  which  says,  "And  the  STRANGER  that 
cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death,"  the  heathen 
asked  who  was  meant  by  the  stranger.  "It 


52  HEBREW  TALES 

applies,"  answered  Hillel,  "to  any  one  who 
is  not  a  descendant  of  Aaron.  Even  David, 
the  king  of  Israel,  if  he  had  presumed  to  ad- 
minister this  sacred  function,  would  have  been 
punishable  with  death."  The  man  then  rea- 
soned with  himself — "If  thus  the  greatest  of 
Israel  is  not  thought  worthy  to  fill  this  office, 
how  should  I,  a  poor,  miserable  stranger?"  He 
gave  up  the  desire  of  becoming  a  high-priest; 
but,  by  continuing  to  study  the  law,  became  an 
adopted  member  of  that  nation  to  whom  God 
said,  "  Ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests," 
etc.  (Exodus  xix.  6.) 

In  the  course  of  time,  they  all  three  happened 
to  meet  together,  when  the  grateful  proselyte 
thus  expressed  himself: — "Shammai's  harshness 
almost  drove  me  from  the  world;  but  Hillel's 
humility  saved  me.  May  all  the  blessings  rest 
upon  thy  head,  thou  worthy  instructor  of 
Israel!  for  it  is  thou  who  hast  brought  me 
under  the  wings  of  the  Divine  presence." 

Shabbat,  31a. 


The  Conquest  of  Meekness;    or,  the  Wager 

ANOTHER  example  will  still  further  prove  the 
great  meekness  and  patient  forbearance  of  this 
truly  great  man. 

A  man  laid  once  a  wager  with  another,  that  he 


HEBREW  TALES  53 

would  provoke  Hillel  to  anger.  The  bet  was 
four  hundred  zuz*  In  order  to  make  sure  of  it, 
he  went  to  the  house  of  Hillel  (who,  it  must  be 
recollected,  was,  at  that  time,  next  to  the  king, 
the  most  exalted  of  the  Israelites),  and,  in  a 
very  turbulent  manner  called  out,  "Where  is 
Hillel?  where  is  Hillel?"  without  giving  him 
any  title  of  distinction.  Hillel  was  in  the 
act  of  dressing  himself  for  the  Sabbath,  and, 
without  noticing  the  rudeness  of  the  stranger, 
put  on  his  cloak,  and,  with  his  usual  mildness, 
asked  him  what  was  his  pleasure.  "I  want 
to  know,"  said  the  man,  " why  the  Babylonians 
have  round  heads. "  "An  important  question, 
truly,"  answered  Hillel.  "The  reason  is,  be- 
cause they  have  no  experienced  midwives." 
The  man  went  away,  and  came  again  in  an 
hour,  vociferating  as  before,  "Where  is  Hillel? 
where  is  Hillel?"  The  Sage  again  threw  his 
mantle  over  his  shoulders,  and  said  to  him, 
"What  dost  thou  want,  my  son?"  "I  want 
to  know,"  said  the  man,  "why  the  Tarmudians 
have  weak  eyes."  Hillel  answered,  "Because 
they  live  in  a  sandy  country;  the  sand  flying 
in  their  eyes  causes  soreness."  The  man  per- 
ceiving Hillel's  mildness  and  good  nature, 
went  away  disappointed.  But,  resolving  to  make 
another  effort  to  provoke  him,  he  came  again 

*A  Hebrew  coin,  value  about  nine  pence,  being  the  fourth 
part  of  a  shekel. 


54  HEBREW  TALES 

in  an  hour,  and  called  out,  "  Where  is  Hillel? 
I  want  Hillel!"  "What  is  thy  pleasure  now?" 
said  the  latter,  mildly.  "I  want  to  know," 
rejoined  the  former,  "why  the  Africans  have 
broad  feet."  "Because, "  said  Hillel,  "they  live 
hi  a  marshy  land. "  "I  fain  would  ask  thee  many 
more  questions,"  said  the  man,  "but  fear  thou 
wilt  be  angry. "  "Fear  nothing, "  said  the  meek 
instructor  of  Israel;  "ask  as  many  questions 
as  it  pleases  thee;  and  I  wilt  answer  them  if  I 
can."  The  man,  astonished  at  Hillel's  un- 
ruffled temper  and  fearing  to  lose  his  money, 
thought  that  the  only  chance  left  was,  to  insult 
him  to  his  face;  and  with  this  view  said  to  him, 
"Art  thou  the  Hillel  who  is  styled  the  Prince  of 
the  Israelites?"  Hillel  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive. "Well,  then,"  said  the  man,  "if  so,  may 
Israel  not  produce  many  persons  like  thee!" 
"And  why?"  asked  the  sweet-natured  Hillel. 
"Because,"  replied  the  stranger — "because 
through  Lthee  I  have  lost  four  hundred  zuz." 
"Thy  money  is  not  entirely  lost,"  said  Hillel, 
with  a  smile,  "because  it  will  teach  thee  to  be 
more  prudent  for  the  future,  and  not  to  make 
such  foolish  wagers.  Besides,  it  is  much  better 
that  thou  lose  thy  money,  than  Hillel  should 
lose  his  patience. " 

Shabbat,  3  la. 


HEBREW  TALES 


True  Charity — An  Anecdote  of  Mar  Ukba 

MAK  UKBA  was  one  of  those  chiefs  of  Israel, 
who,  in  addition  to  great  learning  and  wisdom, 
was  blessed  with  great  riches;  of  which  no  one 
knew  how  to  make  a  better  use  than  he.  Inde- 
pendent of  his  general  charity,  he  made  it  a  rule 
to  give  annually  to  a  number  of  poor  men  a 
certain  sum,  sufficient  to  maintain  them  comfort- 
ably. Among  these,  there  was  one  to  whom 
he  used  to  give  four  hundred  crowns  on  the  day 
preceding  the  day  of  Atonement.  It  happened 
once  that  he  sent  this  gift  by  his  son,  who,  on 
his  return,  represented  to  his  father  that  he 
was  bestowing  his  charity  on  very  unworthy 
objects.  "Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  asked 
Mar  Ukba.  "I  have,"  replied  the  son,  "seen 
that  man,  whom  you  think  so  poor,  and  who 
does  not  blush  to  live  on  charity — I  have  seen 
him  and  his  family  indulge  themselves  in  great 
luxuries;  drinking  the  most  costly  wines." 
"Hast  thou?"  replied  the  benevolent  chief; — 
"then,  I  dare  say,  the  unfortunate  man  has  seen 
better  days.  Accustomed  to  such  good  living 
I  wonder  how  he  can  come  out  with  the  small, 
allowance  we  make  him.  Here,  take  this  purse 
with  money  to  him;  and,  for  the  future,  let  his 
allowance  be  doubled." 

Ketubot,  67b. 


56  HEBREW  TALES 

Filial  Reverence.    Exemplified  in  the  Acts  of 
Damah,  the  Son  of  Nethina 

Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be 
long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee. — 
EXOD.  xx.  12. 

Ye  shall  fear  every  man  his  mother  and  his  father. — Lev. 
xix.  3. 

"Do  you  wish  to  know,"  said  the  great  Rabbi 
Eliezer  to  his  disciples  (in  answer  to  their  in- 
quiries, how  far  the  honor  of  parents  extends)— 
"do  you  wish  to  know  how  to  honor  your 
parents?  then  go  and  take  example  of  Damah, 
the  son  of  Nethina.  His  mother  was,  unfortu- 
nately, insane,  and  would  frequently  not  only 
abuse  him,  but  even  strike  him  in  the  presence 
of  his  companions;  yet  would  this  dutiful  son 
not  suffer  an  ill  word  to  escape  his  lips;  and,  all 
that  he  used  to  say  on  such  occasions  was, 
'Enough,  dear  mother,  enough.'  Further:  one 
of  the  precious  stones  attached  to  the  high- 
priest's  sacerdotal  garments  was  once,  by  some 
means  or  other,  lost.  Informed  that  the  son  of 
Nethina  had  one  like  it,  the  priests  went  to  him, 
and  offered  him  a  very  large  price  for  it.  He 
consented  to  take  the  sum  offered,  and  went 
into  an  adjoining  room  to  fetch  the  jewel.  On 
entering  he  found  his  father  asleep;  his  foot 
resting  on  the  chest  wherein  the  gem  was  depos- 
ited. Without  disturbing  his  father,  he  went 


HEBREW  TALES  57 

back  to  the  priests,  and  told  them  that  he  must, 
for  the  present,  forego  the  large  profit  he  could 
make,  as  his  father  was  asleep.  The  case  being 
urgent,  and  the  priests  thinking  that  he  only 
said  so  to  obtain  a  larger  price,  offered  him  more 
money.  '  No,'  said  the  dutiful  son,  '  I  would  not 
even  for  a  moment  disturb  my  father's  rest, 
could  I  obtain  the  treasures  of  the  world.'  The 
priests  waited  till  the  father  awoke,  when  Damah 
brought  them  the  jewel.  They  gave  him  the 
sum  they  offered  the  second  tune,  but  the  good 
man  refused  to  take  it.  'I  will  not  barter  the 
satisfaction  of  having  done  my  duty,  for  gold. 
Give  me  what  you  offered  at  first,  and  I  shall  be 
satisfied.'  This  they  did,  and  left  him  with  a 
blessing. " 

Kiddushin  31a;  'Abodah  Zarah  23b-24a;  Yerushalmi 
Peah,  I,  1;  Kiddushin,  I,  7;  Deuteronomy  Rabba, 
§  I;  Pesikta  Rabbati,  §  XXIII,  end. 

The  Double  Moral  and  Twofold  Tale,  from  the 
Talmud 

1. — The  MANNER  no  inessential  part  of  the  DEED,  in  acts 
of  duty  and  benevolence. 

2. — Know  the  MOTIVE  before  thou  judgest  of  the  ACT. 

"SOME  men,"  say  the  Talmudists,  "give 
their  indigent  parents  the  finest  capons  to  eat, 
and  yet  inherit  Gehinnom.* — Others  set  them 

*Hell. 


58  HEBREW  TALES 

to  grind  at  the  mill,  and  inherit  Gan-Eden."  * 
To  illustrate  the  first  part  of  this  apophthegm, 
they  relate  the  following: — "A  certain  person 
maintained  his  father,  and  was  accustomed  to 
provide  him  with  the  most  costly  viands.  One 
day  he  placed  before  him  a  very  fine  capon. 
'My  son,'  said  the  father,  'where  didst  thou 
get  this  fine  bird? '  The  brute,  instead  of  mak- 
ing him  a  proper  reply,  said,  'Old  man!  old 
man!  eat  away,  chew  away,  as  other  dogs  do.' 
Now,  such  a  man,  though  he  supports  his  parent, 
yet  deserves  to  be  punished.  For  of  what  use  is 
the  best  of  food,  when  it  is  thus  mixed  with 
gall?  " 

To  illustrate  the  second  part  of  the  preceding 
apophthegm,  they  relate  the  following: — "A 
certain  individual  obtained  his  living  by  grind- 
ing at  the  mill.  Notwithstanding  his  great 
poverty,  he  maintained  his  aged  father,  and 
would  not  suffer  him  to  work.  One  day,  as  he 
was  pursuing  his  laborious  occupation,  word 
was  brought  him  that  the  king's  officers  were 
at  the  door,  urging  the  people  to  come  and 
do  the  king's  work.  Fearful  lest  his  aged  parent 
should  be  maltreated,  he  called  him  and  said, — 
'Come,  dear  father,  take  my  place  at  the  mill, 
and  let  me  appear  as  the  master  of  the  house. 
Should  the  tyrants  insult,  better  be  it  that  I 
should  be  insulted  than  my  beloved  father. 

*  Paradise. 


HEBREW  TALES  59 

Should  they  strike,  I  can  bear  the  blows  better 
than  thou;  and  should  they  strip  me  of  my 
clothes,  let  me  rather  go  naked  than  my  aged 
father.' — Now,  surely,  this  man,  although  he 
set  his  father  to  work  at  the  mill,  will  inherit 
Paradise." 

Kiddushin,  31  a-b;  Tosafot  to  1.  c.,  Yerushalmi  Peah,  I,  1. 

Compassion  Toward  the  Unhappy  :  or,  Rabbi  Jose 
and  His  Repudiated  Wife 

If  thine  enemy  be  hungry,  give  him  bread  to  eat;  and  if  he 
be  thirsty,  give  him  water  to  drink;  for,  though  thou  shalt 
heap  coals  of  fire  upon  his  head,  the  Lord  shall  reward  thee." 

— Prov.  xxv.  21,  22. 

RABBI  JOSE,  the  Galilean,  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  married  to  a  perverse  and  quarrelsome 
woman,  who  not  only  did  not  pay  him  the  re- 
spect due  to  his  station,  but  would  often  insult 
him  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples.  Seeing  these 
repeated  acts  of  aggression,  they  asked  him 
why  he  did  not  divorce  her,  and  thus  get  rid  of 
so  troublesome  a  companion.  "Her  dowry  is 
large,  and  I  am  poor,"  replied  their  instructor; 
"and  it  would  be  unjust  to  send  her  away 
without  restoring  to  her  what  she  brought  me." 
One  day,  the  rich  and  learned  Eliezer,  the 
son  of  Azariah,  paid  our  Rabbi  a  friendly  visit. 
Rejoiced  to  see  this  great  luminary  of  learning, 
and  thinking  himself  highly  honored  by  the 


60  HEBREW  TALES 

company  of  so  great  a  man,  he  pressed  him  to 
stay  and  dine  with  him.  Rabbi  Eliezer  con- 
sented. The  ill-natured  woman,  who  delighted 
to  vex  her  husband  on  all  occasions,  turned  her 
back  on  his  friend,  and,  by  unbecoming  gestures, 
gave  him  to  understand  how  little  she  cared 
either  for  him  or  his  friends.  Jose  took  no  notice 
of  her  uncourteous  behavior;  and  mildly  asked 
her  what  she  had  for  dinner. — " Nothing," 
replied  his  bad-tempered  wife;  " nothing  but  a 
few  vegetables";  though  she  had  actually  pre- 
pared some  very  fine  chickens  for  herself, — 
Rabbi  Eliezer,  who  easily  perceived  that  his 
friend  was  not  blessed  with  the  best-natured 
woman  in  the  world,  advised  him  to  divorce  her; 
and  when  Jose  pleaded  his  poverty,  he  gave  him 
a  very  large  sum  of  money.  The  woman  was 
accordingly  divorced;  and,  after  some  time, 
married  the  beadle  of  the  town.  The  man 
becoming  blind,  and  unable  to  follow  his  usual 
occupation,  was  reduced  to  such  poverty  as  to 
be  constrained  to  beg  his  bread  in  the  streets. 
His  wife  had  the  disagreeable  task  to  lead  him 
about  from  house  to  house,  to  excite  the  com- 
passion of  the  well-disposed  and  charitable. 
In  this  degrading  employment,  she  had  sufficient 
pride  left  to  avoid  the  house  in  which  her  former 
husband  resided.  The  unfortunate  man,  though 
blind,  was  not  unacquainted  with  the  character 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town.  He  had  often 


HEBREW  TALES  61 

heard  of  Jose's  piety  and  charity,  and  asked  his 
wife  why  she  passed  that  good  man's  house. 
She  frequently  put  him  off  with  frivolous  ex- 
cuses; but  the  question  being  continually 
repeated,  she  at  last  told  him  the  truth :  and  that 
a  sense  of  shame  prevented  her  from  begging  at 
the  house  of  which  she  was  formerly  the  mistress. 
—The  husband,  being  of  a  brutish  disposition, 
thought  this  reason  insufficient;  insisted  on 
being  led  thither;  and  when  his  wife  obstinately 
refused  it,  he  beat  her  most  cruelly.  She 
shrieked : — her  lamentable  cries  brought  a  great 
crowd  about  them.  The  wretched  woman 
showed  her  wounds.  The  man  justified  him- 
self by  stating,  that  his  wife  injured  him  in  his 
calling,  and  recited  the  great  losses  he  experi- 
enced through  her  obstinacy.  Amidst  this  up- 
roar and  confusion,  Jose  happened  accidentally 
to  pass.  He  inquired  for  the  cause;  and  no 
sooner  was  he  informed  of  the  real  state  of  the 
affair,  than  he  ordered  the  wants  of  those  poor 
people  to  be  immediately  relieved,  provided  a 
house  for  them,  and  maintained  them  out  of  his 
own  scanty  income,  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. — 
"Rabbi,"  said  his  disciples  to  him,  "is  not  this 
the  same  woman  that  formerly  made  thy  life  so 
miserable?"  "Yea,"  answered  their  pious  in- 
structor; "and  for  that  very  reason  I  am  bound 
to  relieve  her;  for  thus  it  is  written:  'Do  not 
shut  thine  eyes  against  thine  own  flesh. ' " — Thus 


62  HEBREW  TALES 

practically  teaching,  that  a  tender  connection 
once  formed,  though  afterward  dissolved,  is 
never  wholly  forgotten  by  a  good  man;  and 
that  past  misconduct  is  not  to  be  recollected  by 
us  against  the  unhappy  in  the  hour  of  their 
affliction. 

Genesis  Rabba,  §  XVII;  Leviticus  Rabba,  §  XXXIV; 
abbreviated  in  Yerushalmi  Peah,  XII,  1. 

The  Legacy  of  Rabbi  Johanan  to  his  Disciples 

The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom. — Psal. 
cxi.  10. 

WHEN  Rabbi  Johanan,  the  son  of  Zakkai, 
a  man  no  less  celebrated  for  his  great  learning 
than  his  piety,  was  taken  ill,  his  disciples  went 
to  visit  him.  They  found  their  venerable  master 
in  his  dying  moments;  his  eyes  bedewed  with 
tears.  Having  often  heard  him  descant  on  the 
vanity  of  this  world,  the  immortality  of  the  soul, 
and  the  great  rewards  reserved  for  the  good  and 
virtuous  in  the  next  world,  they  were  very  much 
surprised  to  see  him  in  tears,  as  if  regretting  to 
leave  this  world;  and  therefore  ventured  to  ask 
him  for  an  explanation.  "Thou  light  of  Israel, 
chief  pillar  of  the  nation,  and  strength  of  the 
law,"  said  they,  "why  dost  thou  weep?" — 
"Suppose,"  answered  their  pious  instructor, 
"suppose  I  were  to  be  conducted  before  the 
tribunal  of  some  great  king,  who  after  all  is  but 


HEBREW  TALES  63 

flesh  and  blood,  here  to-day,  to-morrow  in  the 
grave;  whose  anger,  however  vehement,  cannot 
be  eternal, — whose  punishment,  however  severe, 
cannot  last  forever, — who  might  indeed  kill  me, 
but  could  not  deprive  me  of  a  future  life, — nay, 
perhaps  I  might  pacify  him  with  words,  or  bribe 
him  with  money  or  valuable  presents, — not- 
withstanding all  which,  I  should  tremble,  fear, 
and  weep.  Now  I  am  to  be  conducted  before 
the  awful  majesty  of  the  King  of  kings;  before 
the  holy  and  blessed  God,  who  is,  and  hVeth  for- 
ever. Whose  just  anger  may  be  eternal, — who 
may  doom  me  to  everlasting  punishment;  and 
should  he  condemn  me  to  death,  it  is  a  death 
without  further  hope.  Nor  can  I  pacify  him 
with  words,  nor  bribe  him  with  money.  Neither 
is  this  all:  but  there  are  two  roads  before  me, 
one  leading  to  paradise,  the  other  to  hell;  but 
I  know  not  by  which  of  these  I  shall  be  con- 
veyed. Have  I  not  cause  to  weep?"-— The  dis- 
ciples, although  convinced  of  their  master's 
piety,  and  the  purity  of  his  past  life,  yet  felt  the 
truth  of  his  observation,  and  entreated  him  to 
bestow  his  last  blessing  upon  them.  "O!  may 
ye,"  said  their  master,  "fear  God  as  much  as  one 
fears  a  mortal  king,  made  of  flesh  and  blood. "- 
"Rabbi,"  said  his  disciples,  "is  this  all,  and  no 
more?"  "0!"  replied  the  dying  sage,  "would 
it  were  even  so!  Consider,  my  children,  how 
tremblingly  alive  men  are  for  their  reputation. 


64  HEBREW  TALES 

When  a  person  commits  a  fault,  does  he  not 
endeavor  to  hide  it  from  his  fellow-creature? 
Would  any  one  be  guilty  of  a  crime  were  he 
certain  it  would  be  known?  And  what  can  be 
hidden  from  the  all-seeing  eye  of  God!" 

Berakot,  28b;  Abot  de-Rabbi  Natan,  Recension  A, 
ch.  XXV  (ed.  Schechter,  p.  79). 


Milton's  "  Dark  from  Excess  of  Light."    Antici- 
pated and  applied  by  R.  Joshua,  in  answer  to 
a    demand    of   the    Emperor    Trajan 

"You  teach,"  said  the  Emperor  Trajan  to 
Rabbi  Joshua,  "that  your  God  is  everywhere, 
and  boast  that  he  resides  among  your  nation. 
I  should  like  to  see  him." — "God's  presence  is 
indeed  everywhere,"  replied  Joshua,  "but  he 
cannot  be  seen;  no  mortal  eye  can  behold  his 
glory."-— The  emperor  insisted.  "Well,"  said 
Joshua,  "suppose  we  try  to  look  first  at  one  of 
his  ambassadors?  "  —The  emperor  consented.— 
The  Rabbi  took  him  in  the  open  air  at  noon-day, 
and  bid  him  look  at  the  sun  in  its  meridian  splen- 
dor.— "I  cannot,"  said  Trajan,  "the  light  daz- 
zles me." — "Thou  art  unable,"  said  Joshua, 
"to  endure  the  light  of  one  of  his  creatures, 
and  canst  thou  expect  to  behold  the  resplendent 
glory  of  the  Creator?  Would  not  such  a  sight 
annihilate  thee!" 

Huffin,  59b-60a. 


HEBREW  TALES  06 


The  Wilful  Drunkard 

Look  not  thou  upon  the  wine  when  it  is  red,  when  it  giveth 
his  color  in  the  cup,  when  it  moveth  itself  aright.  At  the 
last  it  biteth  like  a  serpent,  and  stingeth  like  an  adder.  Thine 
eyes  shall  behold  strange  women,  and  thine  heart  shall  utter 
perverse  things.  Yea,  thou  shalt  be  as  he  that  lieth  down  in 
the  midst  of  the  sea,  or  as  he  that  lieth  upon  the  top  of  a  mast. 
They  have  stricken  me,  shalt  thou  say,  and  I  was  not  sick; 
they  have  beaten  me,  and  I  felt  it  not;  when  shall  I  awake? 
I  will  seek  it  yet  again. — Prov.  xxiii.  31-35. 

THE  drunkard,  says  a  learned  Rabbi,  first 
parts  with  his  money,  then  with  his  silver  ves- 
sels, saying,  "Copper  vessels  will  render  me  the 
same  service."  He  then  exchanges  the  copper 
for  earthen  vessels,  saying,  "0!  they  will  do 
equally  well";  and  would  part  even  with  these, 
could  he  but  get  drink.  Like  all  vicious  habits, 
drunkenness  clings  to  a  man  during  his  life,  and 
will  not  leave  him  even  on  the  brink  of  the  grave. 

A  certain  man  was  so  addicted  to  drinking, 
that  he  sold  even  his  household  furniture  to 
satisfy  his  depraved  appetite.  His  sons,  who 
had  long  observed  their  father's  growing  in- 
firmity with  the  deepest  sorrow,  said,  "If  we 
permit  our  parent  to  proceed  much  longer  at 
this  rate,  he  will  leave  us  nothing  wherewith  to 
maintain  him."  They  employed  the  mildest 
means  to  dissuade  him  from  a  course  so  destruct- 
ive and  disgraceful.  It  was  all  in  vain.  He 

6 


66  HEBREW  TALES 

continued  to  indulge  himself  as  usual.  Re- 
solved to  leave  no  method  calculated  to  produce 
a  reform  untried,  they  carried  him  one  day, 
whilst  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  to  the  burying- 
ground,  and  placed  him  in  a  cave,  where  the 
dead  were  usually  deposited;  flattering  them- 
selves that,  on  awaking  from  his  stupor,  the 
melancholy  scenes  by  which  he  would  find 
himself  surrounded,  would  make  him  seriously 
reflect  on  his  past  life ;  that  he  would  then  aban- 
don a  habit  attended  with  such  pernicious 
consequences,  and  readily  pardon  them  an  act 
which,  however  irreverent,  was  solely  intended 
for  his  good.  With  this  impression  they  left 
him.  On  the  next  morning  they  hastened  to 
the  cave,  expecting  to  find  their  parent,  weak 
for  want  of  food,  but  certainly  not  in  a  state  of 
inebriation.  Their  astonishment  may  therefore 
be  more  easily  conceived  than  described,  when, 
on  entering  the  cave,  they  found  him  sitting 
apparently  at  ease,  with  a  flask,  nearly  emptied 
of  its  contents,  at  his  mouth;  whilst  a  number  of 
bottles,  some  empty,  others  still  full,  were  lying 
near  him.  They  spoke  to  him,  but  could  obtain 
no  coherent  answer. 

It  appears  that  some  smugglers  had  the  pre- 
ceding night  passed  that  way  with  a  quantity  of 
wine,  which  they  intended  to  introduce  into  the 
town;  but  perceiving  the  king's  officers  at  a 
distance,  and  fearing  detection,  concealed  the 


HEBREW  TALES  67 

prohibited  goods  in  the  very  cave,  as  a  place 
least  likely  to  be  searched,  and  went  on :  intend- 
ing to  fetch  them  away  at  a  convenient  oppor- 
tunity. In  the  mean  time  the  old  man  slept 
very  soundly,  little  dreaming  of  what  was  going 
forward.  Early  next  morning  he  awoke,  and 
finding  himself  in  so  melancholy  a  place,  sur- 
rounded by  the  dead,  and  assailed  by  their 
putrid  smell,  he  was  at  first  greatly  terrified 
and  alarmed;  but  the  same  light  which  exhibited 
his  gloomy  situation,  discovered  to  him  the  rich 
store  that  was  deposited  near  him.  The  sight 
of  so  unexpected  a  treasure  filled  him  with  joy. 
He  no  longer  thought  of  the  dead,  nor  of  the 
grave;  but  opening  one  bottle  after  the  other, 
and  emptying  them  of  their  delicious  contents, 
he  became  as  drunk  as  ever.  In  this  situation 
his  sons  found  him.  Overwhelmed  with  grief 
and  disappointment,  they  exclaimed,  "Alas! 
all  our  endeavors  are  vain — the  disease  is  in- 
curable; but  he  is  our  father; — it  is  our  duty  to 
hide  his  infirmities.  Let  us  take  him  home, 
supply  him  in  a  private  chamber  with  as  much 
as  he  can  drink,  that  he  may  no  longer  be  ex- 
posed to  public  scorn."  This  they  did,  con- 
vinced that  ill  habits,  once  contracted,  are 
seldom  relinquished;  and  that  confirmed  vice 
will  not  quit  its  unfortunate  possessor,  even  at 
the  brink  of  the  grave. 

Leviticus  Rabba,   §  XII;  Yalkut  to  Proverbs,   §  960. 


68  HEBREW  TALES 

Do  not  provoke  those  who  throw  off  Appearances 

of  Justice,  who  are  too  strong  to  be  compelled 

to  the  Reality 

WHEN  the  ungenerous  grant  a  favor,  it  is 
generally  clogged  with  so  many  hard  conditions 
as  to  render  their  pretended  generosity  of  no 
avail.  Under  such  circumstances,  prudence 
commands  us  to  submit  to  our  hard  fate,  rather 
than  to  provoke  fresh  insults  by  useless  resist- 
ance. 

A  short  time  after  Trajan  had  mounted  the 
throne  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  Israelites  ob- 
tained his  permission  to  rebuild  the  holy  temple 
at  Jerusalem.  The  Samaritans  no  sooner  heard 
of  it  than,  with  their  usual  malignity,  they  rep- 
resented to  the  Emperor  the  danger  of  permit- 
ting the  Jews  to  assemble  again  in  their  former 
metropolis,  where,  being  once  more  united,  they 
would  soon  shake  off  their  allegiance.  Trajan, 
unwilling  to  revoke  the  grant,  yet  fearful  of  the 
consequences,  was  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed, 
when  one  of  his  counsellors  suggested  to  him  a 
very  easy  method  of  getting  rid  of  his  embarrass- 
ment. "Order  them,"  said  this  artful  adviser, 
"to  build  the  intended  temple  on  a  different 
spot;  or,  to  make  it  five  cubits  higher  or  lower 
than  its  former  dimensions,  and  you  may  be  sure 
their  strict  adherence  to  the  letter  of  the  law 


HEBREW  TALES  69 

will  not  permit  them  to  avail  themselves  of  your 
favor."  The  emperor  issued  his  order  accord- 
ingly. This  threw  the  people  into  the  greatest 
consternation.  They  assembled  tumultuously 
in  the  valley  of  Rimmon;  and,  while  some  ex- 
pressed their  disappointment  in  lamentation 
and  tears,  there  were  many  who  madly  wanted 
to  oppose  the  Emperor's  orders  by  force  of  arms. 
The  elders,  seeing  the  people  in  such  a  ferment, 
requested  Rabbi  Joshua,  whose  wisdom  and 
eloquence  were  well  known,  to  appease  them. 
The  Rabbi  obeyed  their  call,  and  in  addressing 
the  multitude,  made  use  of  the  well-known 
apologue  of  the  Lion  and  the  Crane.  "The 
lion,"  said  the  orator,  "whilst  devouring  his 
prey,  accidentally  got  a  bone  in  his  throat. 
After  many  vain  endeavors  to  disgorge  it,  he 
caused  a  great  reward  to  be  proclaimed  among 
his  numerous  subjects,  for  him  who  should 
relieve  his  mighty  majesty  from  the  excruciating 
pain.  Few  animals  ventured  to  undertake  the 
operation.  At  last,  the  crane  offered  his  service. 
It  was  joyfully  accepted.  The  feathered  physi- 
cian put  his  long  neck  in  the  lion's  throat,  took 
hold  of  the  bone  with  his  long  bill,  and  extracted 
it,  to  the  astonishment  of  all  the  by-standers, 
and  then  demanded  the  promised  reward.  'A 
reward,  indeed!'  said  the  lion,  contemptuously; 
'is  it  not  sufficient  reward  for  thee  to  have  per- 
mitted thy  ugly  neck  to  escape  my  sacred  and 


70  HEBREW  TALES 

mighty  jaws?  and  askest  thou  now  for  a  still 
further  reward? '  The  crane  thought  this  argu- 
ment, if  not  convincing,  very  powerful ;  he  went 
his  way,  and  was  happy,  indeed,  to  have  escaped 
so  imminent  a  danger.  The  application  of  this 
fable,"  added  the  eloquent  Joshua,  "is  easy 
enough.  Remember,  dear  brethren,  you  are 
under  foreign  subjection;  recollect  your  past 
sufferings,  and  think  yourselves  happy  in  the 
comparative  ease  you  at  present  enjoy;  at  all 
events,  do  not  provoke,  by  vain  and  useless 
resistance,  the  mighty  power  of  the  Emperor." 
The  people  were  instructed,  and  went  home 
peaceably.  Genesis  Rabba,  §  LXIV,  end. 


The  Traveller  and  the  Date-tree  of  the  Oasis 

RABBI  NAHMAN,  who  was  very  rich,  learned, 
and  wise,  requested  his  friend,  Rabbi  Isaac,  to 
give  him  his  blessing.  "You  put  me  in  mind," 
said  the  latter,  "of  a  certain  man,  who,  having 
travelled  in  a  desert  nearly  a  whole  day,  found 
himself  very  hungry,  thirsty,  and  fatigued. 
Necessity  obliged  him  to  travel  onward,  till  at 
last  he  came  to  a  most  enchanting  spot,  where 
grew  a  fine  date-tree,  watered  by  a  small  rivulet. 
The  fatigued  traveller  seated  himself  in  the 
shade  of  the  tree,  plucked  some  of  its  delicious 
fruit,  and  refreshed  himself.  Grateful  for  the  un- 


HEBREW  TALES  71 

expected  relief,  he  thus  addressed  his  benefactor : 
'Tree!  tree!  what  blessing  can  I  give  thee? 
Shall  I  wish  thee  towering  branches,  beautiful 
foliage,  and  refreshing  shade?  thou  hast  them 
already; — plenty  and  exquisite  fruit?  thou  art 
already  blessed  therewith; — a  refreshing  stream 
to  moisten  thy  root?  thou  hast  no  lack  of  it. 
The  only  thing  I  can  wish  thee,  then,  is,  that 
every  one  of  thy  suckers,  wherever  they  be 
planted,  may  flourish  like  thee.'  Now,  my 
friend,  what  blessing  can  I  give  thee?  Learned 
and  wise,  thou  art  already;  of  riches,  thou  hast 
plenty,  and  thy  children  are  many.  I  can,  there- 
fore, only  wish  that  all  thy  descendants  may  be 
blessed  like  thee."  Ta'anit,  5b-6a. 


The  Aged  Planter  and  Hadrian 

Thou  shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  honor  the 
face  of  the  old  man,  and  fear  thy  God.  I  am  the  Lord. — 
Levit.  xix.  32. 

THE  Emperor  Hadrian  passing  near  Tiberias 
hi  Galilee,  observed  an  old  man  digging  a  large 
trench  in  order  to  plant  some  fig  trees.  "Hadst 
thou  properly  employed  the  morning  of  thy  life," 
said  Hadrian,  "thou  needest  not  have  worked  so 
hard  in  the  evening  of  thy  days."  "I  have  well 
employed  my  early  days,  nor  will  I  neglect  the 
evening  of  my  life;  and  let  God  do  what  he 


72  HEBREW  TALES 

thinks  best,"  replied  the  man.  "How  old  may- 
est  thou  be,  good  man?"  asked  the  emperor. 
"A  hundred  years,"  was  the  reply.  "What," 
exclaimed  Hadrian,  "a  hundred  years  old  art 
thou,  and  still  plantest  trees!  Canst  thou,  then, 
hope  ever  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  thy  labor?" 
"Great  king,"  rejoined  the  hoary-headed  man, 
"yes,  I  do  hope;  if  God  permit,  I  may  even  eat 
the  fruit  of  these  very  trees;  if  not,  my  children 
will.  Have  not  my  forefathers  planted  trees  for 
me,  and  shall  I  not  do  the  same  for  my  chil- 
dren? "  Hadrian,  pleased  with  the  honest  man's 
reply,  said,  "Well,  old  man,  if  ever  thou  livest 
to  see  the  fruit  of  these  trees,  let  me  know  it. 
Dost  thou  hear,  good  old  man?  "  and  with  these 
words  he  left  him.  The  old  man  did  live  long 
enough  to  see  the  fruits  of  his  industry.  The 
trees  flourished,  and  bore  excellent  fruit.  As 
soon  as  they  were  sufficiently  ripe,  he  gathered 
the  most  choice  figs,  put  them  in  a  basket,  and 
marched  off  toward  the  emperor's  residence. 
Hadrian  happened  to  look  out  of  one  of  the  win- 
dows of  his  palace.  Seeing  a  man,  bent  with  age, 
with  a  basket  on  his  shoulders,  standing  near  the 
gate,  he  ordered  him  to  be  admitted  to  his  pres- 
ence. "What  is  thy  pleasure,  old  man?"  de- 
manded Hadrian.  "May  it  please  your 
majesty,"  replied  the  man,  "to  recollect  seeing 
once  a  very  old  man  planting  some  trees,  when 
you  desired  him,  if  ever  he  should  gather  the 


HEBREW  TALES  73 

fruit,  to  let  you  know.  I  am  that  old  man  and 
this  is  the  fruit  of  those  very  trees.  May  it 
please  you  graciously  to  accept  them  as  a  hum- 
ble tribute  of  gratitude  for  your  majesty's  great 
condescension."  Hadrian,  gratified  to  see  so 
extraordinary  an  instance  of  longevity,  accom- 
panied by  the  full  use  of  manly  faculties  and 
honest  exertion,  desired  the  old  man  to  be  seated, 
and  ordering  the  basket  to  be  emptied  of  the 
fruit,  and  to  be  filled  with  gold,  gave  it  him 
as  a  present.  Some  courtiers  who  witnessed  this 
uncommon  scene,  exclaimed,  "Is  it  possible 
that  our  great  emperor  should  show  so  much 
honor  to  a  miserable  Jew! "  "  Why  should  I  not 
honor  him  whom  God  has  honored?"  replied 
Hadrian.  "Look  at  his  age,  and  imitate  his 
example."  The  emperor  then  very  graciously 
dismissed  the  old  man,  who  went  home  highly 
pleased  and  delighted. 

Leviticus  Rabba,  §  XXV;  Eccles.  Rabba,  to  ch.  II, 
20;  Midrash  Tanhuma,  Section  Kodoshim  (to 
Leviticus  xxix.  23). 

The  Same  Things  no  Longer  the  Same  under 
Altered  Circumstances 

WHEN  the  old  man  came  home  and  exhibited 
the  present  he  had  received,  the  people  were  all 
astonished.  Among  the  neighbors  whom  curi- 
osity had  brought  to  his  house,  there  was  a  silly, 


74  HEBREW  TALES 

covetous  woman,  who,  seeing  so  much  treasure 
obtained  for  a  few  figs,  imagined  that  the  em- 
peror must  be  very  fond  of  that  fruit ;  she  there- 
fore hastily  ran  home,  and  addressing  her 
husband,  said  to  him:  ''  Thou  son  of  a  wretch, 
why  tarriest  thou  here?  Hearest  thou  not  that 
CaBsar  is  very  fond  of  figs?  Go,  take  some  to 
him,  and  thou  mayest  be  as  rich  as  thy  neigh- 
bor." The  foolish  husband,  unable  to  bear  the 
reproaches  of  his  wife,  took  a  large  sack,  filled 
with  figs,  on  his  shoulders,  and  after  much 
fatigue,  arrived  at  the  palace-gate,  and  demand- 
ed admittance  to  the  emperor.  Being  asked 
what  he  wanted,  he  answered,  that  understand- 
ing his  majesty  was  very  fond  of  figs,  he  had 
brought  a  whole  sack  full,  for  which  he  expected 
a  great  reward.  The  officer  on  duty  reported  it 
to  the  emperor.  Hadrian  could  not  help  smiling 
at  the  man's  folly  and  impertinence:  "Yes," 
said  he  to  the  officer,  "the  fool  shall  have  his 
reward.  Let  him  remain  where  he  is,  and  let 
every  one  who  enters  the  gate  take  one  of  the 
figs,  and  throw  it  at  his  face,  till  they  are  all  gone; 
then  let  him  depart."  The  order  was  punctually 
executed.  The  wretched  man,  abused,  pelted, 
and  derided,  instead  of  wishing  for  gold,  wished 
only  to  see  the  bottom  of  his  bag.  After  much 
patience,  and  still  more  pain,  he  had  his  wish. 
The  bag  being  empty,  the  poor  fellow  was  dis- 
missed. Dejected  and  sorrowful,  he  hastened 


HEBREW  TALES  75 

towards  his  home.  His  wife,  who  was  all  the 
while  considering  how  to  dispose  of  the  expected 
treasure — calculating  how  many  fine  caps, 
gowns,  and  cloaks  she  would  purchase,  and  con- 
templating with  inward  delight  how  fine  she 
should  look — hov:  her  neighbors  would  stare  to 
see  her  dressed  in  silk  and  gold,  most  impa- 
tiently expected  her  husband's  return.  He 
came  at  last,  and  though  she  saw  the  bag  empty, 
she  imagined  that  his  pockets  at  least  were  full. 
Without  giving  him  the  usual  salutation,  and 
hardly  allowing  him  to  take  breath,  she  hastily 
asked  him  what  good  luck  he  had  had.  "  Have 
patience,  base  and  wretched  woman,"  replied 
the  enraged  husband,  "have  patience,  and  I  will 
tell  thee.  I  have  had  both  great  and  good  luck. 
My  great  luck  was,  that  I  took  to  the  emperor 
figs,  and  not  peaches,  else  I  should  have  been 
stoned  to  death: — and  my  good  luck  was,  that 
the  figs  were  ripe.  Had  they  been  unripe,  I 
must  have  left  my  brains  behind  me." 

(See  the  references  quoted  at  the  end  of  the  last 
chapter.) 


76  HEBREW  TALES 


The  Preposterous  Snake.    A  Talmudic  Fable 

Take  you  wise  men,  and  understanding,  and  known  among 
your  tribes,  and  I  will  make  them  rulers  over  you. — Deut. 
i.  13. 

As  long,  says  Rabbi  JOSHUA  BEN  LEVI,  as 
the  lower  orders  submit  to  the  direction  of  the 
higher  orders  of  society,  everything  goes  on  well. 
They  (i.e.,  the  rulers)  decree,  and  God  confirms. 
The  prosperity  of  the  state  is  the  result.  But 
when  the  higher  orders,  either  from  corrupt 
motives,  or  from  want  of  firmness,  submit  to 
or  are  swayed  by  the  opinions  of  the  lower 
orders,  they  are  sure  to  fall  together;  and  the 
destruction  of  the  state  will  be  inevitable.  To 
illustrate  this  important  truth,  he  related  the 
following  fable: 

THE  SERPENT'S  TAIL  AND  ITS  HEAD. 

The  serpent's  tail  had  long  followed  the  direc- 
tion of  the  head,  and  all  went  on  well.  One  day 
the  tail  began  to  be  dissatisfied  with  this 
natural  arrangement;  and  thus  addressed  the 
head: — "I  have  long,  with  great  indignation, 
observed  thy  unjust  proceedings.  In  all  our 
journeys,  it  is  thou  that  takest  the  lead;  whereas 
I,  like  a  menial  servant,  am  obliged  to  follow 
behind.  Thou  appearest  everywhere  foremost; 
but  I,  like  a  miserable  slave,  must  remain  in  the 


HEBREW  TALES  77 

background. — Is  this  just? — Is  it  fair?  Am  I 
not  a  member  of  the  same  body?  Why  should 
not  I  have  its  management  as  well  as  thou?"- 
"Thou!"  exclaimed  the  head,  "thou,  silly  tail, 
wilt  manage  the  body!  Thou  hast  neither  eyes, 
to  see  danger — nor  ears,  to  be  apprised  of  it — 
nor  brains,  to  prevent  it.  Perceivest  thou  not, 
that  it  is  even  for  thy  advantage  that  I  should 
direct  and  lead?"  "For  my  advantage,  indeed!" 
rejoined  the  tail.  "This  is  the  language  of  all 
and  every  usurper.  They  all  pretend  to  rule 
for  the  benefit  of  their  slaves; — but  I  will  no 
longer  submit  to  such  a  state  of  things.  I  insist 
upon,  and  will  take  the  lead  in  my  turn."  "Well, 
well!"  replied  the  head,  "be  it  so.  Lead  on." 
The  tail,  rejoiced,  accordingly  took  the  lead. 
Its  first  exploit  was  to  drag  the  body  into  a  miry 
ditch.  The  situation  was  not  very  pleasant. 
The  tail  struggled  hard,  groped  along,  and  by 
dint  of  great  exertion  got  out  again;  but  the 
body  was  so  thickly  covered  with  dirt  and  filth, 
as  hardly  to  be  known  to  belong  to  the  same 
creature.  Its  next  exploit  was  to  get  entangled 
among  briars  and  thorns.  The  pain  was  in- 
tense; the  whole  body  was  agitated;  the  more 
it  struggled  the  deeper  the  wounds.  Here  it 
would  have  ended  its  miserable  career,  had  not 
the  head  hastened  to  its  assistance,  and  relieved 
it  from  its  perilous  situation.  Not  contented, 
it  still  persisted  in  keeping  the  lead,  It  marched 


78  HEBREW  TALES 

on, — and,  as  chance  would  have  it,  crept  into  a 
fiery  furnace.  It  soon  began  to  feel  the  dreadful 
effects  of  the  destructive  element.  The  whole 
body  was  convulsed, — all  was  terror,  confusion, 
and  dismay.  The  head  again  hastened  to  afford 
its  friendly  aid. — Alas!  it  was  too  late.  The 
tail  was  already  consumed.  The  fire  soon 
reached  the  vital  parts  of  the  body — it  was 
destroyed — and  the  head  was  involved  in  the 
general  ruin. 

What  caused  the  destruction  of  the  head? 
Was  it  not  because  it  suffered  itself  to  be  guided 
by  the  imbecile  tail? — Such  will,  assuredly,  be 
the  fate  of  the  higher  orders,  should  they  suffer 
themselves  to  be  swayed  by  popular  prejudices. 

Deuteronomy  Rabba,  §  I. 

The  Doctrine  of  Resurrection  Supported  by  that 
of  Creation 

THERE  were  discovered  on  the  fragments  of 
an  ancient  tombstone,  Greek  words  to  the 
following  purpose:  "/  was  not,  and  I  became: 
I  am  not,  but  shall  be. "  The  same  thought  is 
expressed  in  the  following  reply  of  R.  Gebiha 
to  a  sceptic. 

A  freethinker  said  once  to  R.  Gebiha,  "Ye 
fools,  who  believe  in  a  resurrection!  See  ye 
not  that  the  living  die? — how,  then,  can  ye 
believe  that  the  dead  shall  live?"  " Silly 


HEBREW  TALES  79 

man,"  replied  Gebiha,  "thou  believest  in  a 
creation — well,  then,  if  what  never  before  ex- 
isted, exists,  why  may  not  that  which  once  ex- 
isted, exist  again?"  Sanhedrin,  91a. 

The  Sufferings  of  the  Jews  Under  Hadrian 


OF  all  the  tyrants  that  afflicted  and  persecuted 
the  Jewish  nation,  none  ever  acted  with  greater 
cruelty  toward  them,  nor  made  them  drink 
deeper  of  the  bitter  cup  of  affliction,  than  the 
Emperor  Hadrian.  Provoked  by  their  repeated 
endeavors  to  shake  off  the  iron  yoke  which 
he  and  his  predecessors  had  imposed  upon  them; 
and  exasperated  at  their  heroic  resistance  during 
the  siege  of  Bethar,  which  city  they  valiantly  de- 
fended for  a  considerable  time,  he  conceived  a 
deadly  hatred  against  them.  After  causing  the 
most  dreadful  slaughter  among  them,  he  or- 
dered vast  numbers  to  be  publicly  sold  for  slaves 
and  so  harassed  and  distressed  the  miserable 
few  that  were  unhappy  enough  to  escape  his 
immediate  vengeance,  as  to  fill  their  minds 
with  despair.  Hence  the  detestation  in  which 
his  memory  was  held  among  the  early  Jewish 
writers — many  of  whom,  most  likely,  felt  his  op- 
pressions, and  were  eye-witnesses  to  the  calam- 
ities of  their  brethren.  The  most  diabolical 
acts  of  tyranny  are  ascribed  to  him;  and  his 


80  HEBREW  TALES 

name  is  never  mentioned  without  maledictions. 
Among  many  acts  of  his  cruelty  they  relate 
the  following: — "He  caused  guards  to  be  placed 
at  the  principal  roads  of  Emmaus,  Lekitaja 
[Lukyeh],  and  Beth  El.  'Now,'  said  he,  'if  they 
escape  from  one  place,  they  are  sure  to  be 
caught  in  another.'  As  great  numbers  had 
concealed  themselves  in  woods,  caves,  and 
inaccessible  spots,  he,  in  order  to  draw  them 
from  their  hiding-places,  ordered  it  to  be  pro- 
claimed that  the  emperor's  anger  was  appeased, 
and  that  whoever  wished  to  avail  himse-f  of 
the  royal  clemency  should  appear  before  him,  at 
a  stated  period,  in  the  valley  of  Rimmon.  Many, 
confiding  in  the  royal  assurance,  came  and  pre- 
sented themselves  at  the  appointed  tune.  The 
tyrant  was  at  dinner,  in  his  pavilion.  Beholding 
the  assembled  multitude,  he  said  to  his  lieuten- 
ant: 'Mind,  I  expect  that  before  I  finish  this 
crust  of  bread,  and  the  thigh  of  this  fowl,  not 
one  of  those  wretches  shall  remain  a^ve.'  The 
lieutenant  obeyed,  the  legions  were  ordered  to 
fall  upon  the  defenceless  people,  and  they  were 
massacred  without  remorse.  Those  that  re- 
mained concealed  escaped,  indeed,  immediate 
destruction,  but  they  were  reserved  for  still 
greater  calamities.  Hunger  and  want  reduced 
them  to  such  extremities,  that  they  were  obliged 
to  feed  on  the  putrid  bodies  of  the  slain.  The 
Midrash  relates,  that  two  of  those  unfortunate 


HEBREW  TALES  81 

men,  being  concealed  in  a  cave,  and  their  scanty 
stock  of  provision  being  exhausted,  one  said  to 
the  other,  '  Go  forth,  and  see  whether  thou  canst 
find  anything  to  support  life.'  The  man  went 
and  found  the  murdered  body  of  his  father. 
After  bedewing  it  with  tears,  and  lamenting  his 
own  hard  fate,  he  interred  it,  and  placed  a  sign 
on  the  grave.  He  then  went  in  search  of  food, 
but  finding  none,  he  returned  to  his  hiding-place. 
His  companion  seeing  him  come  home  empty- 
handed,  said,  'Now  let  me  go;  perhaps  I  may 
be  more  fortunate.'  He  went,  and  wandered 
about  for  some  time.  At  last  he  came  to  the 
spot  where  his  companion  had  been  before,  and 
where  he  had  buried  his  father.  The  man  per- 
ceiving a  grave,  opened  it,  and  took  out  the  dead 
body,  carried  it  home,  dressed  it,  ate  part  of  it, 
and  gave  some  to  his  companion,  who,  almost 
perishing  with  hunger,  greedily  devoured  it. 
Having  satisfied  the  immediate  cravings  of 
nature,  he  inquired  of  his  companion  where  he 
got  the  body.  'In  such  and  such  a  place,' 
answered  the  latter;  describing  the  sign  he 
found  on  the  grave.  The  man  perceived  too 
late  that  it  was  the  body  of  his  parent.  He  rent 
his  garments,  tore  the  hair  of  his  head,  and  in  a 
fit  of  despair,  cried  out,  'Miserable  and  detested 
wretch  that  I  am,  I  have  fed  on  the  mangled  limbs 
of  my  own  father! ' ' 

Ekah  Rabbati,  ch.  I,  to  Lamentations  I,  16. 


82  HEBREW  TALES 


Sufferings  of  the  Jews  Under  Hadrian 

ii 

As  a  further  specimen  of  Hadrian's  cruelty, 
the  Midrash  relates  the  following: — 

A  poor  Israelite  happening  to  pass  the 
emperor,  greeted  him  with  great  humility  and 
respect.  "Who  art  thou?"  demanded  the  em- 
peror. The  man  answered  that  he  was  a  poor 
Jew.  "How  dare  a  miserable  Jew  have  the 
impertinence  to  salute  the  emperor?"  exclaimed 
the  tyrant,  and  ordered  his  head  to  be  struck 
off.  Another  Jew,  hearing  of  this  act  of  cruelty 
and  being  obliged  to  pass  the  same  way,  thought 
it  best  not  to  notice  the  emperor.  But  Hadrian 
perceiving  him,  called  him,  and  demanded  who 
he  was.  "An  unfortunate  Jew,"  was  the  answer. 
"And  dare  a  miserable  Jew  have  the  insolence  to 
pass  the  emperor  without  saluting  him,"  ex- 
claimed the  tyrant;  and  ordered  his  head  to  be 
struck  off.  "Great  king,"  said  one  of  the 
courtiers,  who  happened  to  be  present,  "your 
conduct  appears  to  me  very  strange.  One 
person  you  doom  to  death  for  saluting  you, 
and  the  other  for  not  saluting  you!"  "Hold 
thy  peace,"  said  the  tyrant;  "Hadrian  doth  not 
want  to  be  taught  how  to  distress  his  enemies." 
Ekah  Rabbati,  ch.  Ill,  to  Lamentations  III,  59. 


HEBREW  TALES  83 

On  Vows  in  Cases  Previously  Binding  on  the  Con- 
science.   A  Reply  of  Rabbi  Yudan 

A  CERTAIN  person  came  to  Rabbi  Yudan, 
and  said,  "Rabbi,  absolve  me  from  a  vow  I  have 
made."  "What  is  it,  then,  thou  hast  vowed?" 
"I  have  vowed,"  replied  the  man,  "not  to 
earn  anything."  "Not  to  earn  anything!"  ex- 
claimed the  Rabbi;  "what  person  can  be  so 
foolish  as  to  make  such  a  vow!"  "I  only 
meant,"  rejoined  the  man,  "not  to  earn  any- 
thing by  playing  at  dice."  "And  from  this  vow 
thou  wouldst  be  absolved?"  said  the  Rabbi. 
"Oh!  I  see  thou  wishest  to  gamble  again! — 
No,  no,  of  such  a  vow  I  cannot  absolve  thee." 

Yerushalmi  Nedarim,  V,  5. 


Poverty  no  Proof  of  Divine  Disfavor. — A  Conver- 
sation between  Turnus  Rufus  and  Rabbi  Akiba 

TURNUS  RUFUS  once  put  the  following  ques- 
tion to  Rabbi  Akiba: — "If  it  be  true,  as  I  often 
heard  you  declare,  that  your  God  is  the  friend  of 
the  poor,  then  why  does  he  not  maintain  them; 
or,  in  other  words,  why  does  he  suffer  them  to 
languish  in  poverty?" — "The  reason,",  replied 
Akiba,  "is,  that  we  may  have  the  merit  of 
relieving  them,  and  thereby  be  saved  from  the 


84  HEBREW  TALES 

torments  of  Gehinnom."  *  —  "And  do  you," 
resumed  the  general,  "  call  this  a  merit?  I  should 
rather  call  it  a  demerit;  nay,  a  crime,  for  which 
you  well  deserve  the  punishment  of  Gehinnom. 
For,  suppose  a  king  were  angry  with  one  of  his 
slaves,  and  ordered  him  into  prison,  there  to 
be  kept  without  either  meat  or  drink;  would 
not  the  king  have  just  reason  to  be  displeased 
with  any  one  who  should  dare  to  supply  the 
prisoner  with  either?"  "Suppose,  rather," 
said  the  Rabbi,  "that  the  king's  displeasure 
were  to  fall  on  one  of  his  own  sons,  and  that  in 
the  moment  of  anger  he  were  to  order  him  into 
confinement,  there  to  be  kept  without  food; 
think  you  the  king  would  be  angry  if  any  of  his 
subjects,  out  of  loyalty  to  the  father,  were  to 
relieve  the  distress  of  the  son?  Would  he  not 
rather  reward  them  for  it? — Besides,  it  is  even 
the  will  of  God  that  we  should  relieve  the  poor: 
for  thus  he  has  declared  by  his  prophet  Isaiah, 
'0  break  thy  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  bring 
the  distressed  poor  into  thy  house.' — There 
must,  therefore,  be  a  merit  in  relieving  them." 

Baba  Batra,  lOa. 
*Hell. 


HEBREW  TALES  85 

Scrupulous  Honesty.     Exemplified  in  the  Hospi- 
table Rabbi  Phinehas 

AMONG  the  various  virtues  that  adorned 
the  ancient  Hebrews,  hospitality  was  not  the 
least.  They  took  pleasure  in  entertaining  stran- 
gers, and  administering  to  the'r  comfort.  It 
happened  that  two  travellers  came  to  the  resi- 
dence of  Rabbi  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Yair.  The 
Rabbi  bid  them  enter,  take  some  refreshment, 
and  stay  with  him  over  night.  To  this  they 
willingly  consented.  They  had  with  them  a 
few  measures  of  barley,  which  they  probably 
intended  to  sell  the  first  market-day:  these 
they  gave  their  kind  host,  to  save  for  them  till 
their  departure.  Early  the  next  morning,  they 
took  leave  of  the  Rabbi,  thanking  him  for  his 
hospitality,  and  proceeded  on  their  journey. 
But  in  their  hurry  they  forgot  the  barley. 
Phinehas  waited  several  days;  but  finding  they 
did  not  return,  he  ordered  the  barley  to  be  sown, 
and  the  produce  to  be  taken  care  of.  More 
than  a  year  elapsed  before  the  travellers  re- 
turned. As  soon  as  Phinehas  saw  them,  he 
knew  them  again. — "I  suppose,"  said  he,  "you 
are  come  for  the  barley."  "  Yes,  Rabbi,"  replied 
they;  "when  we  were  last  here,  we  were  so  de- 
lighted with  thy  hospitality,  that  we  never 
thought  of  the  deposit  till  we  were  too  far  off 


86  HEBREW  TALES 

to  return.  But  never  mind  the  barley;  we 
suppose  it  is  spoiled,  and  hardly  worth  taking 
away." — "You  are  mistaken,"  said  the  good 
Phinehas,  "your  barley  is  as  good  as  ever." 
He  then  led  them  to  the  barn,  and  to  their  great 
surprise  and  joy,  delivered  to  them  about  500 
measures;  the  produce  of  that  which  they  had 
left  behind.  Deuteronomy  Rabba,  §  III. 

The  Fox  and  the  Fish;    A  Fable  of  Rabbi  Akiba 

IT  was  the  lot  of  Rabbi  Akiba  to  live  in  most 
calamitous  times.  Jerusalem  was  in  ruins; 
the  flower  of  the  nation  had  either  perished 
during  the  war,  or  had  been  carried  in  captivity 
to  grace  the  triumph  of  the  conqueror;  and  the 
miserable  remnant  that  was  permitted  to  re- 
main in  their  once  happy,  but  then  desolated 
country,  groaned  under  the  iron  yoke  of  the 
Romans;  who,  attributing  the  heroic  resistance 
which  the  people  had  made  to  their  arms,  and 
the  obstinacy  with  which  they  had  defended 
their  country,  to  the  spirit  of  their  religion, 
wished  totally  to  abolish  it;  and  with  this  view 
forbade  them  its  free  exercise,  and  the  study  of 
the  law.  Akiba  observed  the  deplorable  condi- 
tion of  his  brethren;  and,  fearing  lest  the  know- 
ledge of  the  law  should  be  totally  lost,  ven- 
tured, notwithstanding  the  Roman  decrees,  to 
instruct  the  people  in  their  religious  duties,  and 


HEBREW  TALES  87 

to  teach  the  law  publicly.  One  day,  as  he  was 
thus  laudably  engaged,  Pappos,  the  son  of 
Judah,  a  man  well-known  for  his  learning,  repre- 
sented to  him  the  imprudence  of  thus  acting 
contrary  to  the  Roman  edicts;  and  said  to  him, 
"Akiba,  art  thou  not  afraid  of  this  nation?" 
(alluding  to  the  Romans).  Thus  wishing  to 
deter  him  from  so  dangerous  an  employment, 
by  intimating  that  there  are  times  when  pru- 
dence requires  us  to  yield  to  circumstances. 
Akiba,  whose  opinion  was,  that  no  circumstance 
whatever  can  justify  an  Israelite  to  forsake  his 
religion,  being  also  persuaded  that  the  calami- 
ties which  the  nation  then  experienced  were  to 
be  attributed  to  their  iniquities  and  that  their 
only  chance  of  deliverance  was  in  strictly  adher- 
ing to  the  laws  of  God,  said  to  him,  "Pappos, 
art  thou  the  man  of  whom  it  is  said,  he  is  wise  ? 
Surely  thy  words  show  that  thou  art  a  fool." 
And  in  order  to  expose  to  his  audience  the  folly 
of  that  policy,  commonly  called  expedience,  which 
often  sacrifices  permanent  good  to  momentary 
advantages,  he  told  them  the  following  fable : 

The  fox,  said  he,  once  took  a  walk  by  the 
side  of  a  river,  and  observed  the  fish  hurrying  to 
and  fro,  in  the  greatest  agitation  and  alarm. 
Curious  to  know  the  cause  of  so  much  confusion 
he  addressed  himself  to  them,  and  said,  "  Friends, 
may  I  be  so  bold  as  to  ask  why  you  are  so  much 
agitated?"  "We  are  endeavoring,"  replied  the 


88  HEBREW  TALES 

fish,  "to  flee  from  our  enemies,  and  avoid  the 
many  nets  and  snares  which  they  have  prepared 
for  us."  "Oh!  oh!"  said  the  cunning  fox,  "if 
that  be  all, — I  can  tell  you  an  easy  way  how  to 
secure  your  safety.  Come  along  with  me  on  dry 
land,  where  we  may  dwell  together  in  tranquil- 
lity, in  the  same  manner  as  our  ancestors  did 
before  us."  The  fish  perceiving  the  treachery 
of  their  insidious  adviser,  said  to  him,  "Fox! 
fox!  art  thou  he  who  is  considered  as  the  most 
sagacious  of  animals!  surely  thy  counsel  proves 
thee  a  very  great  fool.  If,  even  in  our  own 
native  element,  we  are  beset  with  so  many 
dangers,  what  security  can  we  expect  to  find  on 
an  element  so  repugnant  to  our  nature,  and  so 
contrary  to  our  habits?  " 

"It  is  even  so  with  us,"  continued  the  pious 
Rabbi;*  "if,  even  by  partially  following  that 

*  This  truly  great  man  was  not  permitted  to  exert  his  pious 
endeavors  long.  He  was  thrown  into  prison,  and,  at  last, 
publicly  executed  under  the  greatest  torments,  by  the  order 
of  the  Emperor  Hadrian. 

The  Talmudists  tell  us,  that  after  he  had  been  some  tune 
imprisoned,  it  so  happened  that  Pappos  was  thrown  in  the 
same  dungeon.  When  Akiba  beheld  him,  he  asked  him, 
"Pappos,  what  has  brought  thee  hither?" — as  much  as  to 
say,  how  comes  it  that  thy  time-serving  policy  did  not 
protect  thee?  To  which  Pappos  replied:  "Happy  art  thou, 
Akiba,  who  sufferest  for  the  law — woe  to  me,  who  suffer  for 
vain  things."  Thus  retracting  his  former  opinion,  and  ac- 
knowledging that,  when  our  religion  is  in  danger,  it  becomes 
our  bounden  duty  cheerfully  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  its 
preservation. 


HEBREW  TALES  89 

law,  of  which  it  is  said,  'It  is  thy  life,  and  length 
of  days,'  we  experience  so  much  distress  and 
oppression,  what  think  you  will  be  our  lot  should 
we  entirely  abandon  it?" 

Berakot,  61b;  Yebamot,  108b;  Midrash  to  Proverbs, 
IX,  2. 

Tke  Climax  of  Benevolence;  or,  the  Golden  Ladder 
of  Charity.    From  Maimonides,  after  the  Talmud 

THERE  are  eight  degrees  or  steps  in  the  duty 
of  charity. 

The  first  and  lowest  degree  is,  to  give — but 
with  reluctance  or  regret.  This  is  the  gift  of  the 
hand,  but  not  of  the  heart. 

The  second  is,  to  give  cheerfully,  but  not 
proportionately  to  the  distress  of  the  sufferer. 

The  third  is,  to  give  cheerfully  and  propor- 
tionately, but  not  until  we  are  solicited. 

The  fourth  is,  to  give  cheerfully,  proportion- 
ately, and  even  unsolicited;  but  to  put  it  in  the 
poor  man's  hand:  thereby  exciting  hi  him  the 
painful  emotion  of  shame. 

The  fifth  is,  to  give  charity  in  such  a  way  that 
the  distressed  may  receive  the  bounty,  and  know 
then*  benefactor,  without  their  being  known  to 
him.  Such  was  the  conduct  of  some  of  our  an- 
cestors, who  used  to  tie  up  money  in  the  hind- 
corners  of  their  cloaks,  so  that  the  poor  might 
take  it  unperceived. 


90  HEBREW  TALES 

The  sixth,  which  rises  still  higher,  is  to  know 
the  objects  of  our  bounty,  but  remain  unknown 
to  them.  Such  was  the  conduct  of  those  of  our 
ancestors,  who  used  to  convey  their  charitable 
gifts  into  poor  people's  dwellings;  taking  care 
that  their  own  persons  and  names  should 
remain  unknown. 

The  seventh  is  still  more  meritorious,  namely, 
to  bestow  charity  in  such  a  way  that  the  bene- 
factor may  not  know  the  relieved  objects,  nor 
they  the  name  of  their  benefactor;  as  was  done 
by  our  charitable  forefathers  during  the  exist- 
ence of  the  temple.  For  there  was  in  that  holy 
building  a  place  called  the  Chamber  of  Silence 
or  Inostentation,  wherein  the  good  deposited 
secretly  whatever  generous  hearts  suggested, 
and  from  which  the  most  respectable  poor 
families  were  maintained  with  equal  secrecy.* 

Lastly,  the  eighth  and  the  most  meritorious 
of  all,  is  to  anticipate  charity,  by  preventing 
poverty;  namely,  to  assist  the  reduced  brother, 
either  by  a  considerable  gift,  or  a  loan  of  money, 
or  by  teaching  him  a  trade,  or  by  putting  him 
in  the  way  of  business,  so  that  he  may  earn  an 
honest  livelihood;  and  not  be  forced  to  the 
dreadful  alternative  of  holding  up  his  hand  for 
charity.  And  to  this  Scripture  alludes,  when  it 
says,  "And  if  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor,  and 
fallen  in  decay  with  thee,  then  thou  shalt  relieve 

*  Hence,  probably,  the  origin  of  charity-boxes. 


HEBREW  TALES  91 

him:  yea,  though  he  be  a  stranger  or  a  sojourner; 
that  he  may  live  with  thee." — Levit.  xxv.  35. 
This  is  the  highest  step  and  the  summit  of 
charity's  Golden  Ladder. 

Maimonides,  Yad  ha-Hazakah,  Mattenot  'Aniyyim, 
X,  7-13;  cf.  Kohler,  "Jewish  Encyclopedia,"  III, 
670a. 


Rabbi  Simeon  and  the  Jewels 

RABBI  SIMEON,  the  son  of  Shetah,  once  bought 
a  camel  of  an  Ishmaelite:  his  disciples  took  it 
home;  and,  on  removing  the  saddle,  discovered 
a  band  of  diamonds  concealed  under  it.  "Rabbi! 
Rabbi!"  exclaimed  they,  "the  blessing  of  God 
maketh  rich,"  intimating  that  it  was  a  God- 
send. "Take  the  diamonds  back  to  the  man 
of  whom  I  purchased  the  animal,"  said  the 
virtuous  Rabbi:  "he  sold  me  a  camel — not 
precious  stones."  The  diamonds  were  accord- 
ingly returned,  to  the  no  small  surprise  of  the 
proper  owner:  but  the  Rabbi  preserved  the 
much  more  valuable  jewels — HONESTY  and 
INTEGRITY. 

Yerushalmi,  Baba  Mezi'a  II,  5;  Deuteronomy  Rabba, 
§111. 


92  HEBREW  TALES 


He  Who  Wrongs  the  Dishonest  under  the  Pretence 

of  their  Dishonesty,  Renders  Himself  an 

Accomplice;    or,  Rabbi  Huna  Reproved 

RABBI  HUNA  dealt  in  wine,  of  which  he  kept 
a  large  store.  He  had  the  misfortune  to  have 
four  hundred  barrels  of  his  wine  spoiled  and 
unfit  for  sale.  Rabbi  Jehudah  and  some  of  the 
wise  men  went  to  condole  with  him.  After 
expressing  their  sorrow  at  his  heavy  loss,  they 
begged  him  to  examine  and  review  his  general 
conduct.  "My  friends,"  said  Huna,  who,  in 
fact,  was  a  very  pious  man,  "do  you  then  sus- 
pect me  of  having  committed  any  sin  deserving 
of  so  severe  a  punishment?"  "And  do  you, 
then,"  asked  the  sages  in  their  turn,  " imagine 
that  the  Divine  Judge  chastises  without  a 
cause?"  "Well,  then,"  said  Huna,  "if  you 
know  anything  wrong  of  me,  you  had  better 
tell  me."  His  learned  friends  then  told  him 
they  had  been  informed,  that  he  neglected  to 
give  his  gardeners  the  branches  of  the  vines 
(then  considered  as  their  legal  dues). 

"It  is  very  true,"  rejoined  the  Rabbi;  "but 
what  crime  is  there  in  that?  Know  ye  not  that 
gardeners  are  not  very  honest,  and  that  they 
generally  take  much  more  than  their  due?" 
"True,"  said  the  wise  men;  "but  do  you  forget 


HEBREW  TALES  93 

what  the  proverb  says, — He  that  steals  from 
the  dishonest,  partakes  of  their  plunder?" 
Intimating  that  we  must  act  honestly,  even 
toward  those  who  injure  us.  Huna,  although 
rich,  powerful,  and  learned,  was  not  ashamed  to 
acknowledge  his  fault.  He  repaired  his  past 
errors,  and  thanked  the  wise  men  for  the  moral 

lesson  they  gave  him. 

Berakot,  5b. 


Scrupulous  Honesty — Exemplified  in  the  Conduct 
of  Rabbi  Saphra 

RABBI  SAPHRA  wished  to  dispose  of  one  of  his 
estates,  for  which  he  asked  a  certain  price.  An 
individual  who  had  an  inclination  to  purchase 
it,  made  him  an  offer,  which,  being  much  less 
than  the  real  value  of  the  estate,  was  refused. 
Some  time  after,  the  Rabbi,  being  in  want  of 
money,  resolved  in  his  mind  to  accept  the  sum 
offered.  In  the  interim,  the  individual  who  had 
made  the  offer,  desirous  of  possessing  the  estate, 
and  ignorant  of  the  Rabbi's  determination, 
cime  and  proposed  to  give  him  the  sum  first 
demanded.  But  the  good  Saphra  refused  to 
take  it.  "I  have,"  said  he,  "made  up  my  mind 
before  thou  earnest,  to  take  the  sum  thou  didst 
first  offer;  give  it  me,  and  I  shall  be  satisfied; 


94  HEBREW  TALES 

my  conscience  will  not  permit  me  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  thy  ignorance." 

Baba  Batra,  88a;  Makkot,  24a;  Rashi  to  Makkot, 
1.  c.;  Sheiltet  de-Rab  Ahai  Gaon,  §  36  (ed.  Venice, 
1546,  p.  14a);  Isaac  Aboab,  Menorat  Ha-Maor, 
part  II,  ch.  I,  §  46. 

Reverence   for   Truth   and   Simplicity   not   to   be 

Sacrificed  to  the  Forms  of  Courtesy — A  Lesson 

of  Rabbi  Saphra 

IT  happened  that  Rabbi  Saphra  took  a  walk 
with  his  disciples.  As  they  went  along,  they 
met,  at  some  distance  from  the  town,  a  learned 
man,  who,  supposing  that  the  Rabbi  came  pur- 
posely to  meet  him,  thanked  him  for  his  conde- 
scension. "Do  not  thank  me."  said  Saphra, 
"I  only  came  to  take  a  walk."  The  man  was 
disconcerted,  and  betrayed  some  confusion. 
The  disciples,  who  witnessed  what  passed,  asked 
their  master  why  he  acted  thus.  "Would  you, 
then,  have  me  guilty  of  a  falsehood?"  said  the 
pious  Rabbi.  "Nay,"  rejoined  his  disciples, 
"but  thou  mightest  have  been  silent."  "My 
children,"  said  the  virtuous  instructor,  "it 
becomes  not  a  son  of  Israel  to  assume  a  merit 
not  due  to  him;  nor  to  cause,  either  by  words 
or  their  absence,  a  false  impression  upon  the 
mind  of  a  neighbor." 

(See  the  references  in  the  last  chapter.) 


HEBREW  TALES  95 


The  Twofold  Charity  of  the  Benevolent  Physician, 
Abba  Umana 

ABBA  UMANA,  a  Jewish  physician,  was  as 
much  celebrated  for  his  piety  and  humanity, 
as  for  his  medical  skill.  He  made  no  distinction 
between  rich  and  poor,  and  was  particularly 
attentive  to  learned  men,  from  whom  he  never 
would  accept  the  least  reward  for  his  profes- 
sional services;  considering  them  as  a  sort  of 
fellow-laborers,  whose  functions  were  still  more 
important  than  his  own;  since  they  were  des- 
tined to  cure  the  diseases  of  the  mind.  Unwilling 
to  deter  people  from  profiting  by  his  medical 
knowledge,  yet  not  wishing  to  put  anyone  to  the 
blush  for  the  smallness  of  the  fee  they  might  be 
able  to  give,  he  had  a  box  fixed  in  his  ante-cham- 
ber, into  which  the  patients  threw  such  sums 
as  they  thought  proper.  His  fame  spread  far 
and  wide.  Abaye,  who  was  then  the  chief 
of  the  Academy,  heard  of  it;  and  wishing  to 
know  whether  everything  reported  of  that 
benevolent  man  was  true,  sent  to  him  two  of 
his  disciples,  who  were  slightly  indisposed.  The 
physician  received  them  kindly,  gave  them  some 
medicine,  and  requested  them  to  stay  in  his 
house  over  night.  The  offer  was  readily  ac- 
cepted. They  remained  till  the  next  morning, 
when  they  departed,  taking  with  them  a  piece  of 


96  HEBREW  TALES 

tapestry,  which  had  served  as  a  covering  to  the 
couch  on  which  they  had  slept.  This  they  car- 
ried to  the  market-place;  and  waiting  till  their 
kind  host  had  arrived,  pretended  to  offer  it  for 
sale,  and  asked  him  how  much  he  thought  it 
worth.  Abba  Umana  mentioned  a  certain 
sum.  "Dost  thou  not  think  it  worth  more?" 
asked  the  men .  "  No, "  answered  the  physician ; 
"this  is  the  very  sum  I  gave  for  one  much  like 
it."  "Why,  good  man,"  rejoined  the  disciples, 
"this  is  thine  own:  we  took  it  from  thy  house. 
Now  tell  us  truly,  we  beseech  thee,  after  missing 
it,  hadst  thou  not  a  very  bad  opinion  of  us?" 
"Certainly  not,"  replied  the  pious  man;  "ye 
know  that  a  son  of  Israel  must  not  impute  evil 
intentions  to  anyone,  nor  judge  ill  of  a  neighbor 
by  a  single  action;  and  since  I  was  satisfied 
in  my  mind  that  no  ill  use  would  be  made  of 
it,  let  it  even  be  so.  Sell  it,  and  distribute 
the  money  among  the  poor."  The  disciples 
complied  with  his  wishes,  left  him  with  admi- 
ration and  thanks,  and  increased,  by  their 
report,  his  well-earned  fame. 

But  the  most  noble  trait  in  this  good  man's 
character  was,  that  he  never  accepted  any  re- 
muneration from  the  poor,  and  even  provided 
them  with  everything  that  could,  during  their 
illness,  contribute  to  their  comfort;  and  when 
he  had,  by  his  skill  and  assiduity,  restored  them 
to  health,  he  would  give  them  money,  and  say — 


HEBREW  TALES  97 

"Now,  my  children,  go  and  purchase  bread  and 
meat;  these  are  the  best  and  only  medicines 
you  require."  Ta'anit,  21b,  et  seq. 

Folly  of  Idolatry — A  Traditional  Tale  Respecting 
Abraham 

TERAH,  the  father  of  Abraham,  says  tradition, 
was  not  only  an  idolater,  but  a  manufacturer 
of  idols,  which  he  used  to  expose  for  public  sale. 
Being  obliged,  one  day,  to  go  out  on  particular 
business,  he  desired  Abraham  to  superintend 
for  him.  Abraham  obeyed  reluctantly.  "What 
is  the  price  of  that  god?"  asked  an  old  man,  who 
had  just  entered  the  place  of  sale,  pointing  to 
an  idol  to  which  he  took  a  fancy.  "Old  man," 
said  Abraham,  "may  I  be  permitted  to  ask 
thine  age?"  "Threescore  years,"  replied  the 
age-stricken  idolater.  "Threescore  years!" 
exclaimed  Abraham,  "and  thou  wouldest  wor- 
ship a  thing  that  has  been  fashioned  by  the 
hands  of  my  father's  slaves  within  the  last 
four-and-twenty  hours?  Strange!  that  a  man 
of  sixty  should  be  willing  to  bow  down  his  gray 
head  to  a  creature  of  a  day!"  The  man  was 
overwhelmed  with  shame,  and  went  away. 
After  this  there  came  a  sedate  and  grave  matron, 
carrying  in  her  hand  a  large  dish  with  flour. 
"Here,"  said  she,  "I  have  brought  an  offering 


98  HEBREW   TALES 

to  the  gods.  Place  it  before  them,  Abraham, 
and  bid  them  be  propitious  to  me."  " Place 
it  before  them  thyself,  foolish  woman!"  said 
Abraham;  "thou  wilt  soon  see  how  greedily 
they  will  devour  it."  She  did  so.  In  the  mean 
time  Abraham  took  a  hammer,  broke  the  idols 
in  pieces,  all  excepting  the  largest,  in  whose 
hands  he  placed  the  instrument  of  destruction. 
Terah  returned,  and  with  the  utmost  sur- 
prise and  consternation  beheld-  the  havoc 
among  his  favorite  gods.  "What  is  all  this, 
Abraham!  What  profane  wretch  has  dared  to 
use  our  gods  in  this  manner?"  exclaimed  the 
infatuated  and  indignant  Terah.  "  Why  should 
I  conceal  anything  from  my  father,"  replied 
the  pious  son.  "During  thine  absence  there 
came  a  woman  with  yonder  offering  for  the  gods. 
She  placed  it  before  them.  The  younger  gods, 
who,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  had  not  tasted 
food  for  a  long  time,  greedily  stretched  forth 
their  hands,  and  began  to  eat,  before  the  old 
god  had  given  them  permission.  Enraged  at 
their  boldness,  he  rose,  took  the  hammer,  and 
punished  them  for  their  want  of  respect." 
"Dost  thou  mock  me?  Wilt  thou  deceive  thy 
aged  father?"  exclaimed  Terah,  in  a  vehement 
rage; — "do  I  then  not  know  that  they  can 
neither  eat,  nor  stir,  nor  move?"  "And  yet," 
rejoined  Abraham,  "thou  payest  them  divine 
honors — adorest  them — and  wouldest  have  me 


HEBREW  TALES  99 

worship  them!"  It  was  in  vain  Abraham  thus 
reasoned  with  his  idolatrous  parent.  Super- 
stition is  ever  both  deaf  and  blind.  His  un- 
natural father  delivered  him  over  to  the  cruel 
tribunal  of  the  equally  idolatrous  Nimrod. 
But  a  more  merciful  Father — the  gracious  and 
blessed  Father  of  us  all — protected  him  against 
the  threatened  danger;  and  Abraham  became 
the  father  of  the  faithful. 

Genesis  Rabba,  §  XXXVIII;   Tanna  debe  Eliyahu, 
II,  25. 

Abraham's  Deliverance  from  the  Fiery  Furnace 

ABRAHAM  being  brought  before  Nimrod, 
was  urged,  by  the  tyrant,  to  worship  the  fire. 
"  Great  king,"  said  the  father  of  the  faithful, 
"would  it  not  be  better  to  worship  water?  It 
is  mightier  than  fire,  having  the  power  to  ex- 
tinguish it."  "  Worship  the  water,  then,"  said 
Nimrod.  "Methinks,"  rejoined  Abraham,  "it 
would  be  more  reasonable  to  worship  the  clouds, 
since  they  carry  the  waters,  and  throw  them 
down  upon  the  earth."  "Well,  then,"  said  the 
impatient  king,  "worship  the  clouds,  which, 
by  thine  own  confession,  possess  great  power." 
"Nay,"  continued  Abraham,  "if  power  is  to  be 
ihe  object  of  adoration,  the  preference  ought  to 
be  given  to  the  wind,  which  by  its  greater  force 
scatters  the  clouds,  and  drives  them  before  it." 


100  HEBREW  TALES 

"I  see,"  said  Nimrod,  "we  shall  never  have 
done  with  this  prattler.  Worship  the  wind, 
then,  and  we  will  pardon  thy  former  profana- 
tions." "Be  not  angry,  great  king,"  said  Abra- 
ham; "I  cannot  worship  the  fire,  nor  the  water, 
nor  the  clouds,  nor  the  wind,  nor  any  of  the 
things  thou  callest  gods.  The  power  they  possess 
is  derived  from  a  Being,  not  only  most  powerful, 
but  full  of  mercy  and  love.  The  Creator  of 
heaven  and  earth,  him  alone  will  I  worship." 
"Well,  then,"  said  the  tyrant,  "since  thou 
refusest  to  adore  the  fire,  thou  shalt  speedily 
be  made  sensible  of  its  mighty  force."  He 
ordered  Abraham  to  be  thrown  into  a  fiery 
furnace.  But  God  delivered  him  from  the 
raging  flames,  and  made  him  a  source  of  blessing 
to  many  nations. 

Genesis  Rabba,  §  XXXVIII;  for  parallels,  see  "Jewish 
Encyclopedia,"  I,  pp.  86,  88. 


No  Loss  of  Dignity  from  any  Innocent  Means  of 

Promoting  Peace  and  Harmony;   or,  Rabbi 

Meir  and  the  Unhoused  Wife 

Seek  peace,  and  pursue  it. — Psalm  xxxiv.  14. 

RABBI  MEIR  was  accustomed  to  preach  pub- 
licly for  the  edification  of  the  people,  on  the 
eve  of  the  Sabbath.  Among  his  numerous 
audience,  there  was  a  woman,  who  was  so  de- 


HEBREW  TALES  101 

lighted  with  his  discourse,  that  she  remained 
until  he  had  concluded.  Instructed  and  pleased, 
she  went  toward  home  to  enjoy  the  repast 
which  was  generally  prepared  for  the  honor  of 
the  day;  but  was  greatly  disappointed,  on  ar- 
riving near  her  house,  to  find  the  lights  extin- 
guished, and  her  husband  standing  at  the  door 
in  very  ill-humor.  " Where  hast  thou  been?" 
exclaimed  he,  in  a  tone  that  at  once  indicated 
that  he  was  not  much  pleased  with  her  absence. 
"I  have  been,"  replied  the  woman,  mildly,  "to 
hear  our  learned  Rabbi  preach,  and  a  delightful 
discourse  it  was."  "Was  it?"  rejoined  the 
husband,  who  affected  to  be  something  of  a  wit. 
"Well,  then,  since  the  Rabbi  has  pleased  thee 
so  much,  I  vow  that  thou  shalt  not  enter  this 
house  until  thou  hast  spit  in  his  face,  as  a  reward 
for  the  entertainment  he  has  afforded  thee." 
The  woman,  astonished  at  so  unreasonable  a 
demand,  thought  at  first  her  husband  was 
joking,  and  began  to  congratulate  herself  on  his 
returning  good  humor;  but  she  was  soon  con- 
vinced that  it  was  no  jest.  The  brute  insisted 
on  her  spitting  in  the  preacher's  face,  as  the  sole 
condition  of  being  re-admitted  into  the  house; 
and  as  she  was  too  pious  to  offer  such  an  indig- 
nity to  any  person,  much  less  to  so  learned  a 
man,  she  was  constrained  to  remain  in  the 
street.  A  charitable  neighbor  offered  her  an 
asylum,  which  was  gladly  accepted.  There 


102  HEBREW  TALES 

she  remained  some  time,  endeavoring  in  vain 
to  mollify  her  husband,  who  still  persisted  in 
his  first  demand.  The  affair  made  some  noise 
in  the  town,  and  a  report  of  the  transaction 
was  communicated  to  Rabbi  Meir,  who  imme- 
diately sent  for  the  woman.  She  came:  the 
good  Rabbi  desired  her  to  be  seated.  Pre- 
tending to  have  pain  in  his  eyes,  he,  without 
taking  the  least  notice  of  what  had  transpired, 
asked  her,  whether  she  knew  any  remedy  for 
it.  " Master,"  said  the  woman,  "I  am  but  a 
poor  ignorant  creature;  how  should  I  know 
how  to  cure  thine  eyes?"  " Well,  well,"  re- 
joined the  Rabbi,  "do  as  I  bid  thee — spit 
seven  times  in  mine  eyes — it  may  produce  some 
good."  The  woman,  who  believed  there  was 
some  virtue  in  that  operation,  after  some  hesi- 
tation, complied.  As  soon  as  it  was  done, 
Meir  thus  addressed  her:  "Good  woman,  go 
home,  and  tell  thy  husband — '  It  was  thy  desire 
that  I  should  spit  in  the  Rabbi's  face  once — I 
have  done  so;  nay,  I  have  done  more,  I  have 
spit  in  it  seven  times — now  let  us  be  recon- 
ciled.'" 

Meir's  disciples,  who  had  watched  their  mas- 
ter's conduct,  ventured  to  expostulate  with  him 
on  thus  permitting  a  woman  to  offer  him  such  an 
indignity,  observing  that  this  was  the  way  to 
make  the  people  despise  the  law  and  its  pro- 
fessors. "My  children,"  said  their  pious  in- 


HEBREW  TALES  103 

structor,  "think  ye  that  your  maste*r  ought  to 
be  more  punctilious  about  his  honor  than  his 
Creator  ?  Even  HE,  the  Adorable,  blessed  be 
HE,  permitted  His  holy  name  to  be  obliterated,* 
in  order  to  promote  peace  between  man  and 
wife,  and  shall  I  consider  anything  as  an  indig- 
nity that  can  effect  so  desirable  an  object? 
Learn,  then,  that  no  act  is  disgraceful  that  tends 
to  promote  the  happiness  and  peace  of  mankind. 
It  is  vice  and  wickedness  only  that  can  degrade 
us." 

Leviticus  Rabba,  §  IX;  Numbers  Rabba,  §  IX. 


The  Lawful  Heir 

A  RICH  Israelite,  who  dwelt  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  Jerusalem,  had  an  only  son,  whom 
he  sent  to  the  Holy  City  for  education.  During 
his  absence,  the  father  was  suddenly  taken  ill. 
Seeing  his  end  approaching,  he  made  his  will, 
by  which  he  left  all  his  property  to  a  slave  whom 
he  named,  on  condition  that  he  should  permit 
his  son  to  select  out  of  that  property  any  single 
thing  he  might  choose.  No  sooner  was  the 
master  dead,  than  the  slave,  elated  with  the 
prospect  of  so  much  wealth,  hastened  to  Jeru- 
salem, informed  the  son  of  what  had  taken 
place,  and  showed  him  the  will.  The  young 

*  See  Numbers  v.  23. 


104  HEBREW  TALES 

Israelite  was  plunged  into  the  deepest  sorrow 
by  this  unexpected  intelligence.  He  rent  his 
clothes — strewed  ashes  on  his  head — and  la- 
mented the  loss  of  a  parent  whom  he  tenderly 
loved,  and  whose  memory  he  still  revered.  As 
soon  as  the  first  transports  of  grief  were  over, 
and  the  days  allotted  for  mourning  had  passed, 
the  young  man  began  seriously  to  consider 
the  situation  ir_  which  he  was  left.  Born  in 
affluence,  and  grown  up  under  the  expectation 
of  receiving,  after  his  father's  demise,  those  pos- 
sessions to  which  he  was  so  justly  entitled,  he 
saw,  or  imagined  he  saw,  his  expectations  disap- 
pointed and  his  worldly  prospects  blighted.  In 
this  state  of  mind,  he  went  to  his  instructor, 
a  man  eminent  for  his  piety  and  wisdom,  ac- 
quainted him  with  the  cause  of  his  affliction, 
made  him  read  the  will,  and  in  the  bitterness 
of  distress,  ventured  to  express  his  thoughts— 
that  his  father,  by  making  such  a  strange  dis- 
position of  his  property,  showed  neither  good 
sense  nor  affection  for  his  only  child.  "Say 
nothing  against  thy  father,  young  man," 
spake  the  pious  instructor;  "thy  father  was 
both  a  wise  man,  and  an  affectionate  parent ; 
the  most  convincing  proof  of  which  he  gave 
by  this  very  will."  "By  this  will!"  ex- 
claimed the  young  man, — "by  this  will! — 
Surely,  my  honored  master,  thou  art  not  in 
earnest.  I  can  see  neither  wisdom  in  bestow- 


HEBREW  TALES  105 

ing  his  property  on  a  slave,  nor  affection  in  de- 
priving his  only  son  of  his  legal  rights."  "Thy 
father  has  done  neither,"  rejoined  the  learned 
instructor,  "but  like  a  just,  loving  parent,  has 
by  this  very  will  secured  the  property  to  thee, 
if  thou  hast  sense  enough  to  avail  thyself  of  it." 
"How!  how!"  exclaimed  the  young  man,  in 
the  utmost  astonishment.  ' '  How  is  this !  Truly 
I  do  not  understand  thee."  "Listen,  then," 
said  the  friendly  instructor;  "listen,  young  man, 
and  thou  wilt  have  reason  to  admire  thy  father's 
prudence.  When  he  saw  his  end  approaching, 
and  that  he  must  go  in  the  way  in  which  all 
mortals  must  sooner  or  later  go,  he  thought 
within  himself, — 'Behold,  I  must  die;  my  son  is 
too  far  off  to  take  immediate  possession  of  my 
estate, — my  slaves  will  no  sooner  be  certain  of 
my  death,  than  they  will  plunder  my  property; 
and  to  avoid  detection,  will  conceal  my  death 
from  my  beloved  child;  and  thus  deprive  him 
even  of  the  melancholy  consolation  of  mourning 
for  me.'  To  prevent  the  first,  he  bequeathed 
his  property  to  a  slave,  whose  apparent  interest 
it  would  be  to  take  care  of  it.  To  insure  the 
se.cond,  he  made  it  a  condition  that  thou  should- 
est  be  allowed  to  select  something  out  of  that 
property.  The  slave,  thought  he,  in  order  to 
secure  his  apparent  legal  claim,  would  not  fail 
to  give  the  speeedy  information,  as  indeed  he 
has  done. "  "  Well ! ' '  exclaimed  the  young  man, 


106  HEBREW  TALES 

rather  impatiently,  "what  benefit  is  all  this  to 
me?  Will  this  restore  me  the  property  of 
which  I  have  been  so  unjustly  deprived?" 
"Ah!"  replied  the  good  man,  "I  see  that 
wisdom  resides  only  with  the  aged.  Knowest 
thou  not  that  whatever  a  slave  possesses  be- 
longs to  his  lawful  master?  And  has  not  thy 
father  left  thee  the  power  of  selecting  out  of 
his  property  any  one  thing  thou  mightest 
choose?  What  hinders  thee,  then,  from  choos- 
ing that  very  slave  as  thy  portion;  and  by  pos- 
sessing him,  thou  wilt,  of  course,  be  entitled  to 
the  whole  property.  This,  no  doubt,  was  thy 
father's  intention."  The  young  Israelite,  ad- 
miring his  father's  wisdom,  no  less  than  his 
master's  sagacity,  took  the  hint;  chose  the 
slave  as  his  portion,  and  took  possession  of  his 
father's  estates.  After  which,  he  gave  the  slave 
his  freedom,  together  with  a  handsome  present; 
convinced,  at  the  same  time,  that  wisdom  resides 
with  the  aged,  and  understanding  in  length  of  days. 

Midrash  Tanhuma,  §  Lek  Leka. 


HEBREW  TALES  .    107 

The   Fox   and   the   Rift  in  the   Garden-wall: — A 
Talmudic  Fable 

There  is  a  sore  evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the  sun, 
namely,  riches  kept  for  the  owners  thereof  to  their  hurt. 
But  those  riches  perish  by  evil  travail:  and  he  begetteth  a 
son,  and  there  is  nothing  in  his  hand.  As  he  came  forth  from 
his  mother's  womb,  naked  shall  he  return  to  go  as  he.  came, 
and  shall  take  nothing  of  his  labor,  which  he  may  carry 
away  in  his  hand. — Eccles.  v.  13-15. 

THESE  facts,  which  the  royal  philosopher 
stated  as  the  result  of  his  own  experience,  the 
learned  GENE  BA  illustrated  by  the  following 
apologue : — 

"The  fox,"  says  he,  "once  came  near  a  very 
fine  garden,  where  he  beheld  lofty  trees  laden 
with  fruit  that  charmed  the  eye.  Such  a  beauti- 
ful sight,  added  to  his  natural  greediness,  ex- 
cited in  him  the  desire  of  possession.  He  fain 
would  taste  the  forbidden  fruit,  but  a  high  wall 
stood  between  him  and  the  object  of  his  wishes. 
He  went  about  in  search  of  an  entrance  and 
at  last  found  an  opening  in  the  wall;  but 
it  was  too  small  for  his  big  body.  Unable  to 
penetrate,  he  had  recourse  to  his  usual  cunning. 
He  fasted  three  days,  and  became  sufficiently 
reduced  to  crawl  through  the  small  aperture. 
Having  effected  an  entrance,  he  carelessly  roved 
about  in  this  delightful  region,  making  free  with 
its  exquisite  produce,  and  feasting  on  its  most 


108  HEBREW  TALES 

rare  and  delicious  fruit.  He  staid  for  some  time 
and  glutted  his  appetite,  when  a  thought  struck 
him,  that  it  was  possible  he  might  be  observed, 
and,  in  that  case,  he  should  pay  dearly  for  the 
enjoyed  pleasure.  He  therefore  retired  to  the 
place  where  he  had  entered,  and  attempted  to 
get  out ;  but  to  his  great  consternation  he  found 
his  endeavors  vain.  He  had,  by  indulgence, 
grown  so  fat  and  plump,  that  the  same  space 
would  no  more  admit  him.  '  I  am  in  a  fine  pre- 
dicament/ said  he  to  himself.  '  Suppose  the 
master  of  the  garden  were  now  to  come,  and 
call  me  to  account,  what  would  become  of  me! 
I  see  my  only  chance  of  escape  is  to  fast  and 
half-starve  myself.'  He  did  so  with  great  reluc- 
tance, and,  after  suffering  hunger  for  three  days, 
he,  with  difficulty,  made  his  escape.  As  soon 
as  he  was  out  of  danger,  he  took  a  farewell  view 
of  the  garden,  the  scene  of  his  delight  and 
trouble,  and  thus  addressed  it: — 'Garden! 
garden!  thou  art  indeed  charming  and  delight- 
ful, thy  fruits  are  delicious  and  exquisite — but 
of  what  benefit  art  thou  to  me?  What  have  I 
now  for  all  my  labor  and  cunning? — Am  I  not 
as  lean  as  I  was  before?  ' 

It  is  even  so  with  man.    Naked  comes  he  into 

the  world — naked  must  he  go  out  of  it;  and, 

of  all  his  toils  and  labor,  he  can  carry  nothing 

with  him,  save  the  fruits  of  his  righteousness. 

Ecclesiastes  Rabba  to  Eccles.  V,  15. 


HEBREW  TALES  109 


Alexander  and  the  Female  Chief;    a  Moral  Tale 
in  Honor  of  Women 

Beware  how  thou  oddest  what  may  subtract  of  what  thou 
already  hast. 

Go  not  forth  hastily  to  strive,  lest  thou  know  not  what  to 
do  in  the  end  thereof,  when  thy  neighbor  hath  put  thee  to 
shame. — Prov.  xxv.  8. 

ALEXANDER,  the  Macedonian,  whose  mad 
ambition  knew  no  bounds,  and  whose  thirst  of 
dominion  torrents  of  human  blood  could  not 
assuage,  after  having  subdued  numerous  na- 
tions, desolated  the  fairest  part  of  the  globe, 
and  covered  the  earth  with  mourning,  was  far 
from  being  contented  with  his  vast  dominions. 
He  still  sighed  for  new  conquests,  and  was  as 
restless  and  as  ambitious  as  ever.  Returning 
from  his  Indian  expedition,  he  took  it  in  his 
head  to  penetrate  into  the  interior  of  Africa. 
He  communicated  his  design  to  some  Hebrew 
philosophers,  who  then  were  in  his  camp. 
"Thou  canst  not  go  thither,"  said  the  sages; 
11  there  are  the  dark  mountains,  which  intervene, 
and  which  cannot  be  passed."  "I  do  not  ask 
you,"  said  the  headstrong  chief,  "whether  the 
thing  be  possible  or  not.  You  know  I  am  accus- 
tomed to  conquer  difficulties.  My  desire  is,  to 
know  how  to  proceed."  "Well,  then,"  replied 
the  philosophers,  "get  some  Libyan  asses,  that 
are  accustomed  to  walk  in  the  dark;  bind  them 


110  HEBREW  TALES 

with  pliable  ropes,  the  ends  of  which  keep  in 
thine  own  hand;  then  direct,  and  follow."  Alex- 
ander took  their  advice,  commenced  his  march, 
and  after  traversing  barren  wastes  and  dreary 
deserts,  arrived  at  length  in  a  well-cultivated 
country,  which  was  chiefly  inhabited  and 
governed  by  women.  Alexander  was  on  the 
point  of  assailing  their  chief  town,  when  a  female 
distinguished  from  the  rest  of  her  companions 
by  her  lofty  stature  and  noble  mien,  stepped 
boldly  forward;  and  after  respectfully  saluting 
Alexander,  inquired  what  might  have  brought 
him  to  their  secluded  country.  "I  am  come," 
replied  the  impetuous  chief,  "to  fight  and  to 
conquer."  "Great  king!"  exclaimed  the  pru- 
dent heroine,  "what!  art  thou  come  to  fight 
with  females!  Are  then  the  men  all  dead,  that 
thou  comest  to  show  thy  valor  against  women? 
Trust  me,  the  thought  of  conquering  us  is  more 
easy  than  the  deed.  Besides,  it  becomes  a 
wise  man  well  to  calculate  the  consequences  of 
an  enterprise  before  he  undertakes  it.  Now, 
grant  thou  conquerest  us,  will  this  tend  to  thy 
glory?  Will  it  not,  after  all,  be  said,  the  mighty 
Alexander  has  killed  a  few  helpless  women? 
But  should  fortune  turn  against  thee,  and  we 
should  prevail,  with  what  shame  and  disgrace 
will  it  not  sully  thy  renown!  Will  it  not  then 
be  said  the  great  warrior,  the  conqueror  of  the 
world,  has  at  last  been  subdued — ignominiously 
subdued,  by  the  hands  of  women?  Leave  us, 


HEBREW  TALES  111 

then,  in  the  undisturbed  possession  of  our  own 
country,  and  turn  thy  mighty  arms  against 
more  worthy  enemies."  Alexander,  struck  by 
her  intrepidity,  and  still  more  by  the  justness 
of  her  observations,  held  out  his  hand  to  her 
in  token  of  peace,  and  only  requested  permission 
to  place  the  following  inscription  on  the  gates 
of  the  chief  city: — I,  Alexander,  the  madman, 
after  having  conquered  so  many  nations,  have  at 
last  come  to  this  country,  and  learned  wisdom 
from  women.* 

Tamid,  32a;  Pesikta  de-R.  K.,  IX  (ed.  Buber,  pp. 
74a-b);  Leviticus  Rabba,  §  XXVII;  Midrash 
Tanhuma,  §  Emor,  §  VI. 

Ambition  Humbled  and  Reproved  or  Alexander 
and  the  Human  Skull 

Hell  and  destruction  are  never  full;  so  the  eyes  of  man 
are  never  satisfied. — Prov.  xxvii.  20. 

PURSUING  his  journey  through  dreary  deserts 
and  uncultivated  ground,  Alexander  came  at 
last  to  a  small  rivulet,  whose  waters  glided 
peaceably  along  then*  shelving  banks.  Its 
smooth  unruffled  surface  was  the  image  of  con- 
tentment, and  seemed  in  its  silence  to  say— 
this  is  the  abode  of  tranquillity  and  peace.  All 
was  still:  not  a  sound  was  heard  save  those 

*  Whether  the  Talmudists  have  taken  this  from  the  well- 
known  story  of  the  Amazonian  Queen,  I  cannot  tell :  but  they 
have,  at  all  events,  given  us  a  very  instructive  lesson. 


112  HEBREW  TALES 

soft  murmuring  tones  which  seemed  to  whisper 
into  the  ear  of  the  weary  traveller — "Come,  and 
partake  of  nature's  bounty" — and  to  complain 
that  such  offers  should  be  made  in  vain.  To  a 
contemplative  mind,  such  a  scene  might  have 
suggested  a  thousand  delightful  reflections. 
But  what  charms  could  it  have  for  the  soul  of  an 
Alexander,  whose  breast  was  filled  with  schemes 
of  ambition  and  conquest ;  whose  eye  was  famil- 
iarized with  rapine  and  slaughter;  and  whose 
ears  were  accustomed  to  the  clash  of  arms — to 
the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  the  dying? 
Onward,  therefore,  he  marched.  Yet,  overcome 
by  fatigue  and  hunger,  he  was  soon  obliged  to 
stop.  He  seated  himself  on  one  of  the  banks  of 
the  river,  took  a  draught  of  water,  which  he 
found  of  a  very  fine  flavor,  and  very  refreshing. 
He  then  ordered  some  salt  fish,  with  which  he 
was  well  provided,  to  be  brought  to  him.  These 
he  dipped  in  the  stream,  in  order  to  take  off  the 
briny  taste,  and  was  very  much  surprised  to 
find  them  emit  a  very  fine  fragrance.  "Surely," 
said  he,  "this  river,  which  possesses  such  un- 
common qualities,  must  flow  from  some  very 
rich  and  happy  country.  Let  us  march  thither." 
Following  the  course  of  the  river,  he  at  length 
arrived  at  the  gates  of  Paradise.  The  gates 
were  shut.  He  knocked,  and,  with  his  usual 
impetuosity,  demanded  admittance.  "Thou 
canst  not  be  admitted  here!"  exclaimed  a  voice 
from  within;  "this  gate  is  the  Lord's."  "I  am 


HEBREW  TALES  113 

the  Lord — the  Lord  of  the  earth,"  rejoined  the 
impatient  chief — "I  am  Alexander  the  Con- 
queror! Will  you  not  admit  me?"  "No,"  was 
the  answer.  "Here,  we  know  of  no  conquerors 
— save  such  as  conquer  their  passions:  None 
but  the  just  can  enter  here."  Alexander  en- 
deavored in  vain  to  enter  the  abode  of  the 
blessed;  neither  entreaties  nor  menaces  availed. 
Seeing  all  his  attempts  fruitless,  he  addressed 
himself  to  the  guardian  of  Paradise,  and  said: — 
"You  know  I  am  a  great  king — a  person  who 
received  the  homage  of  nations.  Since  you  will 
not  admit  me,  give  me  at  least  something,  that 
I  may  show  an  astonished  and  admiring  world 
that  I  have  been  where  no  mortal  has  ever 
been  before  me."  "Here,  madman!"  said  the 
guardian  of  Paradise,  "here  is  something  for 
thee.  It  may  cure  the  maladies  of  thy  distem- 
pered soul.  One  glance  at  it  may  teach  thee 
more  wisdom  than  thou  hast  hitherto  derived 
from  all  thy  former  instructors.  Now  go  thy 
ways."  Alexander  took  it  with  avidity,  and 
repaired  to  his  tent.  But  what  was  his  confu- 
sion and  surprise  to  find,  on  examining  the  re- 
ceived present,  that  it  was  nothing  but  the  frag- 
ment of  a  human  skull.  "And  is  this!"  ex- 
claimed Alexander,  "the  mighty  gift  that  they 
bestow  on  kings  and  heroes?  Is  this  the  fruit 
of  so  much  toil,  danger,  and  care?"  Enraged 
and  disappointed,  he  threw  it  on  the  ground. 
"Great  king!"  said  a  learned  man,  who  hap- 

8 


114  HEBREW  TALES 

pened  to  be  present,  "do  not  despise  this  gift. 
Despicable  as  it  appears  in  thine  eyes,  it  yet 
possesses  some  extraordinary  qualities,  of  which 
thou  mayest  soon  be  convinced,  if  thou  wilt 
order  it  to  be  weighed  against  gold  or  silver." 
Alexander  ordered  it  to  be  done.  A  pair  of 
scales  was  brought.  The  skull  was  placed  in 
one,  a  quantity  of  gold  in  the  other;  when,  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  beholders,  the  skull 
over-balanced  the  gold.  More  gold  was  added, 
still  the  skull  preponderated.  In  short,  the  more 
gold  there  was  put  in  the  one  scale  the  lower 
sunk  that  which  contained  the  skull.  "  Strange ! " 
exclaimed  Alexander,  "that  so  small  a  portion 
of  matter  should  outweigh  so  large  a  mass  of 
gold!  Is  there  nothing  that  will  counterpoise 
it?"  "Yes,"  answered  the  philosophers,  "a 
very  little  matter  will  do  it."  They  then  took 
some  earth,  covered  the  skull  with  it,  when 
immediately  down  went  the  gold,  and  the  op- 
posite scale  ascended.  "This  is  very  extraor- 
dinary! "  said  Alexander,  astonished.  "  Can  you 
explain  this  strange  phenomenon?"  "Great 
king,"  said  the  sages,  "this  fragment  is  the  socket 
of  the  human  eye,  which,  though  small  in  com- 
pass, is  yet  unbounded  in  its  desire.  The  more  it 
has,  the  more  it  craves.  Neither  gold  nor  silver, 
nor  any  other  earthly  possession  can  ever  satisfy 
it.  But  when  it  once  is  laid  in  the  grave  and 
covered  with  a  little  earth,  there  is  an  end  to  its 
lust  and  ambition."  Tamid,  32b. 


FACETI.E* 

Wit  Like  Salt:   A  Little  Goes  a  Great  Way 

" THERE,  my  lad,"  said  an  Athenian  once  to 
a  little  Hebrew  boy,  by  way  of  joke;  "here  is 
a  Pruta*  bring  me  something  for  it,  of  which  I 
may  eat  enough,  leave  some  for  my  host,  and 
carry  some  home  to  my  family."  The  witty 
boy  went  and  brought  him  salt.  "Salt," 
exclaimed  the  Athenian,  "I  did  not  tell  thee  to 
bring  salt!"  "Nay,"  replied  the  boy,  archly, 
"didst  thou  not  say,  bring  me  of  what  I  may 
eat,  leave,  and  take  some  home?  Verily  of  this 
thou  mayest  eat,  leave  some  behind,  and  still 
have  plenty  to  carry  home."  [Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  i. 

The  Word  "  Us  "  Includes  the  Hearer  as  Well  as 
the  Speaker 

AN  Athenian  once  said  to  a  Hebrew  lad, 
"Here,  my  boy,  is  some  money;  bring  us  some 
figs  and  grapes."  The  boy  went  and  purchased 
the  fruit,  and  giving  half  of  it  to  the  stranger, 
kept  the  other  half  for  himself.  "Is  it  custo- 
mary here,  for  a  messenger  to  take  half  of  what 

*  For  the  entire  contents  of  this  section,  see  the  article 
"Athenians  in  Talmud  and  Midrash, "  in  "Jewish  Ency- 
clopedia, "  II,  pp.  265-266,  and  the  sources  there  cited. 

f  A  small  coin,  of  less  value  than  a  farthing. 
115 


116  HEBREW  TALES 

he  fetches?"  said  the  Athenian,  rather  surprised. 
"No,"  answered  the  boy,  "but  our  custom  is  to 
speak  what  we  mean,  and  to  do  as  we  are  de- 
sired." "But,"  rejoined  the  stranger,  "I  did 
not  desire  thee  to  take  half  the  fruit?"  "Oh!" 
replied  the  boy,  shrewdly,  "what  else  couldst 
thou  mean  by  saying  bring  Us?  Does  not  that 
word  include  the  Hearer  as  well  as  the  Speaker?" 
The  Athenian  smiled,  and  was  contented. 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  1. 

The  Tailor  and  the  Broken  Mortar 

Answer  a  fool  according  to  his  folly. — Prov.  xxvi.  5. 

AN  Athenian,  going  along  the  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem, found  a  broken  iron  mortar.  Wishing  to 
exhibit  his  wit,  he  entered  a  tailor's  shop,  and 
addressing  himself  to  the  master,  said,  "  Master, 
be  so  kind  and  put  a  patch  upon  this  mortar." 
"I  will,"  said  the  Hebrew,  "as  soon  as  thou 
wilt  make  me  a  few  threads  of  this  material" — 
giving  him  a  handful  of  sand. 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  1. 

Witty  Retort  of  a  Hebrew  Child 

"FETCH  me  some  cheese  and  eggs,"  said  an 
Athenian  once  to  a  little  boy:  the  boy  did  as 
he  was  desired.  "Now,  my  boy,"  said  the 
stranger,  "tell  me  which  of  these  cheeses  were 
made  of  the  milk  of  white  goats,  and  which  of 
the  milk  of  black  goats ! "  "  Thou  art  older  than 


HEBREW  TALES  117 

I,  and  more  experienced,"  replied  the  shrewd 
little  Hebrew.  "Tell  me  first  which  of  these 
eggs  came  from  white,  and  which  from  black 
hens."  Ekah  Rabbati  I,  1;  cp.  also  'Abodah  Zarah,  17b. 


The  Inhospitable  Jester  Taken  in  His  Own  Snare 

He  who  intends  to  circumvent  others  teaches  cunninger 
men  a  lesson  to  his  own  damage. 

AN  inhabitant  of  Jerusalem  coming  to  Athens 
on  some  particular  business,  entered  the  house 
of  a  merchant,  with  a  view  of  procuring  a  lodg- 
ing. The  master  of  the  house,  being  rather 
merry  with  wine,  and  wishing  to  have  a  little 
sport,  told  him  that,  by  a  recent  law,  they  must 
not  entertain  a  stranger,  unless  he  first  made 
three  large  strides  toward  the  street.  "How 
shall  I  know,"  rejoined  the  Hebrew,  "what  sort 
of  stride  is  in  fashion  among  you?  Show  me, 
and  I  shall  know  how  to  imitate  you."  The 
Athenian  made  one  long  stride,  which  brought 
him  to  the  middle  of  his  shop — the  next  brought 
him  to  its  threshold — and  the  third  carried  him 
into  the  street.  Our  traveller  no  sooner  per- 
ceived it,  than  he  shut  the  street  door  upon 
the  Athenian.  "What,"  cried  the  latter,  "do 
you  shut  me  out  of  my  house?"  "Thou  hast 
no  reason  to  complain,"  replied  the  Hebrew. 
"I  only  do  that  to  thee,  which  thou  didst  intend 
to  do  unto  me."  Remember,  that  he  who 


118  HEBREW  TALES 

attempts  to   circumvent  another  has  no  right 
to  complain  of  being  himself  circumvented. 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  1. 


The  Enigma  that  Cost  the  Athenian  His  Mantle 

AN  Athenian  went  once  into  a  Hebrew  school, 
where  there  were  a  number  of  boys.  The  master 
being  absent,  the  stranger  entered  into  a  con- 
versation with  the  pupils,  and  proposed  many 
questions,  to  which  they  returned  suitable 
answers.  As  he  was  on  the  point  of  departing, 
some  of  the  boys  said  to  him:  "Come,  let  us 
make  an  agreement  that  whoever  is  unable  to 
make  a  reply  to  a  question  proposed,  shall 
forfeit  his  cloak."  "Agreed,"  said  the  Athenian. 
"Since  thou  art  the  oldest,"  said  the  pupils, 
"it  is  but  fair  that  thou  shouldest  have  the 
priority. "  "  No, "  said  the  Athenian, ' '  make  you 
the  proposition,  as  I  am  only  a  stranger."  They 
then  proposed  the  following  enigma: — "Nine 
go  out,  eight  come  in;  two  pour  out,  one  drinks; 
and  four  and  twenty  wait  upon  him."  After 
several  fruitless  endeavors,  the  Athenian  ac- 
knowledged he  could  not  tell  the  meaning;  and 
was  under  the  necessity  of  giving  up  his  cloak. 
Departing  from  thence,  he  met  the  master 
of  the  school.  "Rabbi,"  said  'the  Athenian, 
"what  a  shocking  custom  is  this  of  yours,  when 
a  stranger  comes  among  you,  you  strip  him 


HEBREW  TALES  119 

of  his  clothes.  Is  this  your  hospitality?"  He 
then  told  him  how  the  pupils  had  deprived  him 
of  his  cloak.  "Perhaps,"  said  the  Rabbi,  " there 
was  a  cause  for  it."  The  stranger  then  related 
to  him  the  real  facts.  "Well,"  said  the  Rabbi, 
"  do  not  be  vexed:  I  will  tell  thee  the  interpreta- 
tion. The  nine  that  go  out  embrace  the  period 
of  man's  embryo  life: — The  eight  that  come  in 
are  the  eight  days  of  circumcision : — The  two  that 
pour  out  are  the  two  living  fountains  which  God 
has  provided  for  the  nourishment  of  infants: — 
The  one  that  drinks  is  the  child  that  sucks: — 
The  twenty-four  waiters  are  the  four  and  twenty 
months  allowed  for  between  its  birth  and  its 
weaning."  The  Athenian  thanked  him,  re- 
turned, and  redeemed  his  cloak. 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  1. 

The  Quadruple  Tale 

"No  person,"  said  Rabbi  JOSHUA,  "ever  con- 
quered me  (in  wit),  except  two  little  boys,  a 
little  girl,  and  a  widow."  He  then  related  the 
following  tales: — 

1.   The  Wise  Child 

More  than  the  mile-stone  must  be  consulted  in  deciding 
which  is  the  shortest  way. 

ONCE  on  my  travels,  I  came  near  a  town 
where  the  road  separated  to  right  and  left. 
Not  knowing  which  to  take,  I  inquired  of  a 


120  HEBREW  TALES 

little  boy,  who  happened  to  be  there,  which  of 
the  two  led  to  the  town.  "Both,"  replied  he; 
"but  that  to  the  right  is  short  and  long — that 
on  the  left  is  long  and  short."  I  took  that  on 
the  right,  but  had  not  far  advanced,  when  my 
progress  was  stopped  by  a  number  of  hedges  and 
gardens.  Unable  to  proceed,  I  returned,  and 
asked  the  little  fellow  how  he  could  be  so  cruel 
as  to  misdirect  a  stranger.  "I  did  not  misdirect 
thee,"  replied  the  boy.  "I  told  thee  what  is  true. 
But  art  thou  a  wise  man  among  Israel,  and 
canst  not  comprehend  the  meaning  of  a  child?— 
It  is  even  as  I  said.  This  road  is  the  nearest, 
but  still  the  longest,  on  account  of  the  many 
obstructions;  unless  thou  wouldst  trespass  on 
other  people's  ground,  which  I  could  hardly 
suppose  from  so  good  a  man.  The  other  road  is, 
indeed,  more  distant,  but  it  is,  nevertheless, 
the  shortest,  being  the  public  road,  and  may, 
therefore,  be  passed  without  encroaching  on 
other  people's  property." — I  admired  his  wit, 
and  still  more  his  good  sense,  and  went  on. 

2.  Impertinent  Curiosity  Repressed 

ARRIVING  in  the  city,  I  met  another  little 
boy  carrying  a  covered  dish.  "What  hast  thou 
in  that  dish,  child?  "  demanded  I.  ' '  My  mother 
would  not  have  covered  it,  master,  had  she  been 
willing  that  its'  contents  should  be  known," 
replied  the  little  wit ! — and  went  on. 


HEBREW  TALES  121 

3.   The  Little  Girl  kind  and  witty 

ANOTHER  time,  during  my  travels,  I  came 
near  a  well,  where  a  little  girl  was  drawing 
water.  Being  very  thirsty,  I  asked  for  a 
draught.  She  handed  me  the  pitcher.  "  Drink," 
said  she,  "and  when  thou  hast  done,  I  will  draw 
some  for  the  beast  on  which  thou  ridest."  I 
quenched  my  thirst,  and  the  good  girl  gave  some 
to  the  poor  animal.  As  I  departed,  I  said, 
"Daughter  of  Israel!  thou  hast  imitated  the 
virtuous  example  of  our  good  mother  Rebekah." 
"Rabbi,"  said  the  little  girl  (with  a  smile, 
that  indicated  the  most  kindly  feelings,  and 
that  the  reply  was  a  mere  play  of  wit)— 
"Rabbi,  if  I  have  imitated  the  example  of 
Rebekah,  thou  hast  not  imitated  that  of  the 
faithful  Eliezer."  *  Kind  maiden,  thought  the 
Rabbi,  thou  possessest  already  more  valuable 
ornaments  than  the  most  faithful  servant  can 
bestow — Wit,  Innocence,  and  Good  Nature. 
May  the  Lord  continue  to  bless  thee. 

4^  Great  Learning  no  Excuse  for  Want  of  Good 

Manners 

I  HAPPENED  once  to  take  up  my  lodging  at 
the  abode  of  a  widow.  She  prepared  something 
for  my  dinner,  which  she  placed  before  me. 
Being  very  hungry,  I  ate  the  whole,  without 
leaving  the  customary  remnant  for  the  servants. 

*  Indicating  that  he  had  not  offered  her  gifts. 


122  HEBREW  TALES 

The  next  day  I  did  the  same.  The  third  day, 
my  hostess,  wishing  to  make  me  sensible  of  the 
impropriety  of  my  conduct,  so  overseasoned 
the  dish  she  had  prepared  for  me,  that  it  was 
impossible  to  eat  it.  Ignorant  of  what  had  been 
done,  I  began  to  eat;  but  finding  the  food  so  very 
salty,  I  laid  down  the  spoon,  and  made  my 
repast  on  bread.  "  Why  eatest  thou  not  of  what 
has  been  prepared  for  thee?"  asked  my  hostess. 
"Because  I  am  not  hungry,"  answered  I.  "If 
so,"  rejoined  she,  "why  eatest  thou  bread?  Do 
people  eat  that  by  way  of  dessert?  But,"  contin- 
ued she,  with  a  significant  smile,  "I  can  perhaps 
guess  thy  motive.  Thou  leavest  this  for  the 
poor  servants,  whom  thou  didst,  yesterday  and 
the  day  before,  deprive  of  their  due!  Is  it  not 
so,  Rabbi?  "  I  was  humbled,  and  acknowledged 
my  fault. 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  1;  'Erubin,53b;  Derek  'Erez  Rabba, 
ch.  VI. 

The  Athenian  and  His  One-Eyed  Slave 

AN  Athenian  went  to  study  at  Jerusalem. 
After  remaining  there  three  years  and  a  half, 
and  finding  he  made  no  great  progress  in  his 
studies,  he  resolved  to  return.  Being  in  want 
of  a  servant  to  accompny  him  on  his  journey, 
he  went  to  the  market-place  and  purchased 
one.  Having  paid  the  money,  he  began  to  ex- 
amine his  purchase  more  closely,  and  found  to 
his  surprise  that  the  purchased  servant  was 


HEBREW  TALES  123 

blind  of  one  eye.  "Thou  blockhead,"  said  he 
to  himself — "see  the  charming  fruits  of  thy 
application.  Here  have  I  studied  three  years 
and  a  half,  and  at  last  acquired  sufficient  wisdom 
to  purchase  a  blind  slave!"  "Be  comforted," 
said  the  person  that  sold  the  slave;  "trust  me, 
though  he  is  blind  of  one  eye,  he  can  see  much 
better  than  persons  with  two."  The  Athenian 
departed  with  his  servant.  When  they  had  ad- 
vanced a  little  way,  the  blind  slave  addressed  his 
master.  "Master,"  said  he,  "let  us  quicken  our 
pace,  we  shall  overtake  a  traveller,  who  is  some 
distance  before  us."  "I  can  see  no  traveller," 
said  the  master.  "Nor  I,"  replied  the  slave; 
"yet  I  know  he  is  just  four  miles  distant  from 
us."  "Thou  art  mad,  slave!  How  shouldest 
thou  know  what  passes  at  so  great  a  distance, 
when  thou  canst  scarcely  see  what  is  before 
thee?"  "I  am  not  mad,"  replied  the  servant, 
"yet  it  is  as  I  said;  nay,  moreover,  the  traveller 
is  accompanied  by  a  she-ass,  who,  like  myself, 
is  blind  of  one  eye:  she  is  big  with  two  young, 
and  carries  two  flasks,  one  containing  vinegar, 
the  other  wine . "  "  Cease  thy  prattle,  loquacious 
fool!"  exclaimed  the  Athenian.  "I  see,  my 
purchase  improves;  I  thought  him  blind  only, 
but  he  is  mad  in  the  bargain."  "Well,  master," 
said  the  slave,  "have  a  little  patience,  and 
thou  wilt  see  I  have  told  thee  nothing  but  the 
truth."  They  journeyed  on,  and  soon  overtook 
the  traveller ;  when  the  Athenian,  to  his  utmost 


124  HEBREW  TALES 

astonishment,  found  everything  as  his  servant 
had  told  him;  and  he  begged  him  to  explain 
how  he  could  know  all  this  without  seeing  either 
the  animal  or  its  conductor.  "I  will  tell  thee, 
master,"  replied  the  slave.  "I  looked  at  the 
road,  and  observing  the  almost  imperceptible 
impression  of  the  ass's  hoofs,  I  concluded  that 
she  must  be  four  miles  distant ;  for  beyond  that 
the  impression  could  not  have  been  visible.  I  saw 
the  grass  eaten  away  on  one  side  of  the  path,  and 
not  on  the  other;  and  hence  judged  she  must  be 
blind  of  one  eye.  A  little  further  on  we  passed 
a  sandy  road,  and  by  the  impression  which  the 
animal  left  on  the  sand  where  she  rested,  I  knew 
she  must  be  with  young.  Further,  I  observed  the 
impressions  which  the  liquid  had  made  on  the 
sand,  and  found  some  of  them  appeared  spongy 
—while  others  were  full  of  small  bubbles,  caused 
by  fermentation,  and  thence  judged  of  the 
nature  of  the  liquid."  The  Athenian  admired 
the  sagacity  of  his  servant,  and  thenceforth 
treated  him  with  great  respect. 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  a;  Sanhedrin,  104b. 

The  Scientific  Carver 

A  JERUSALEMITE  went  .once  on  particular 
business,  to  a  certain  place  in  the  country,  where 
he  was  suddenly  taken  ill.  Seeing  himself  on 
the  point  of  death,  he  called  the  master  of  the 
house,  begged  him  to  take  care  of  his  property 
until  the  arrival  of  his  son;  and  for  fear  of  impo- 


HEBREW  TALES  125 

sition,  not  to  deliver  it  to  him,  unless  he  first 
performed  three  clever  things  as  a  proof  of  his 
wisdom.  After  the  lapse  of  a  considerable  time, 
the  son  arrived  at  the  place.  Knowing  the  name 
of  the  person  with  whom  his  father  usually 
resided,  but  ignorant  of  the  particular  street  in 
which  he  lived,  he  in  vain  endeavored  to  find  it 
out,  as  the  people  refused  to  give  him  the  desired 
information.  While  thus  embarrassed  and 
perplexed  how  to  proceed,  he  espied  a  person 
with  a  heavy  load  of  wood  on  his  shoulders. 
"  How  much  for  that  wood?  "  asked  the  stranger. 
The  man  mentioned  a  certain  sum.  "Thou 
shalt  have  it,"  said  the  Hebrew;  "go  and  carry 
it  to  that  man's  house  "  (mentioning  the  name 
of  the  person  of  whom  he  was  in  quest).  "  I  will 
follow  thee."  The  man  did  as  he  was  desired. 
Arriving  at  the  house,  the  carrier  put  down  his 
load.  "What  is  all  this?"  said  the  master  of 
the  house;  "I  have  not  ordered  any  wood." 
"True,"  said  the  carrier;  "but  the  person  be- 
hind me  has."  In  the  mean  time  the  stranger 
arrived,  informed  the  master  who  he  was, 
adding,  as  no  one  would  acquaint  him  with  the 
place  of  his  abode,  he  contrived  this  stratagem 
in  order  to  discover  it.  "Thou  art  a  clever 
fellow,  indeed,"  said  the  host, — bade  him  enter, 
and  insisted  on  his  staying  with  him  till  the 
next  day.  The  offer  was  thankfully  accepted. 
Dinner  was  prepared,  the  cloth  laid.  The 
company,  consisting  of  the  master,  his  wife, 


126  HEBREW  TALES 

two  daughters,  two  sons,  and  the  stranger,  were 
seated ;  and  the  servant  brought  a  dish  contain- 
ing five  chickens,  which  was  placed  upon  the 
table.  "Now,"  said  the  host  to  his  visitor, 
"be  so  kind  and  carve."  The  latter  begged  at 
first  to  be  excused,  but  at  last  complied;  and 
executed  the  office  in  the  following  manner: — 
One  of  the  chickens  he  divided  between  the 
master  and  his  wife;  another  between  the  two 
daughters;  the  third  between  the  two  sons, 
and  the  remaining  two  he  took  for  his  own 
share.  "A  very  strange  way  of  carving,  this! — 
My  visitor  must  needs  be  a  great  glutton," 
thought  the  master  within  himself,  but  said 
nothing.  The  afternoon  and  evening  were 
passed  in  various  amusements,  and  when 
supper-time  arrived,  a  very  fine  capon  was 
placed  upon  the  table.  "Thou  hast  performed 
the  honors  of  the  table  so  well  this  day,"  said 
the  kind  host  to  his  visitor,  "that  I  must  request 
thee  to  carve  again."  Our  visitor  took  the 
capon  before  him,  cut  off  its  head,  and  placed 
it  before  the  master;  the  inward  part  he  gave 
to  the  mistress  of  the  house;  to  the  two  daugh- 
ters he  gave  each  a  wing;  to  the  two  sons  a  leg 
each;  and  kept  the  whole  remainder  to  himself. 
"Upon  my  word,"  said  the  master,  "this  is  too 
bad;  I  thought  thy  manner  of  carving  at  dinner 
very  strange,  but  this  is  still  more  extraordinary. 
Pray,  is  this  the  way  they  carve  at  Jerusalem?" 
"Have  patience  until  I  explain  myself,  and  my 


HEBREW  TALES  127 

conduct  may,  perhaps,  not  appear  quite  so 
strange,"  replied  the  visitor.  "At  dinner,  five 
chickens  were  placed  before  me;  these  were  to  be 
divided  among  seven  persons.  As  I  could  not  per- 
form the  operation  with  mathematical  exactness, 
I  thought  it  best  to  do  it  arithmetically.  Now, 
thou,  thy  wife,  and  one  chicken  made  up  the 
number  three;  thy  two  daughters  and  a  chicken 
made  another  three;  thy  two  sons  and  a  chicken 
made  again  three.  To  make  up  the  last  number, 
I  was  compelled  to  take  the  remaining  chickens 
to  myself;  for  two  chickens  and  thy  humble 
servant  made  again  three.  Thus  have  I  solved 
this  difficult  problem."  "Thou  art  an  excellent 
arithmetician,  but  a  bad  carver,"  said  the  mas- 
ter; "but  proceed."  The  stranger  continued: 
"In  my  carving  in  the  evening,  I  proceeded 
according  to  the  nature  of  things.  The  head 
being  the  principal  part  of  the  body;  I  therefore 
gave  it  thee,  since  thou  art  the  head  of  the  fam- 
ily. To  thy  wife  I  gave  the  inward  part  as  a  sign 
of  her  fruitfulness.  Thy  two  sons  are  the  two 
pillars  of  thy  house ;  the  legs,  which  are  the  sup- 
porters of  the  animal,  were  therefore  their  proper 
portion.  Thy  daughters  are  marriageable,  and 
I  know  thou  wishest  to  see  them  well  settled, 
I  therefore  gave  them  wings,  that  they  may  the 
sooner  fly  abroad.  As  for  myself  I  came  in  a 
boat,  and  intend  to  return  in  a  boat;  I  therefore 
took  that  part  which  most  resembles  it." 
"Very  well  done,"  said  his  kind  host;  "I  am 


128  HEBEW  TALES 

satisfied  thou  art  the  true  son  of  my  departed 
friend.  Here  is  thy  property:  now  go  and 
prosper." 

Ekah  Rabbati,  I,  1. 


No  Rule  Without  Exception 

RABBI  ELIEZER,  who  was  as  much  distin- 
guished by  the  greatness  of  his  mind  as  by  the 
extraordinary  size  of  his  body,  once  paid  a 
friendly  visit  to  Rabbi  Simeon.  The  learned 
Simeon  received  him  most  cordially,  and, 
filling  a  cup  with  wine,  handed  it  to  him. 
Eliezer  took  it,  and  drank  it  off  at  a  draught. 
Another  was  poured  out — it  shared  the 
same  fate.  "Brother  Eliezer,"  said  Simeon, 
jestingly,  "rememberest  thou  not  what  the 
wise  men  have  said  on  this  subject?"  "I  well 
remember,"  answered  the  corpulent  Eliezer, 
"the  saying  of  our  instructors — 'that  people 
ought  not  to  take  a  cup  at  one  draught.'  But," 
added  he,  jocosely,  "the  wise  men  have  not  so 
defined  their  rule  as  to  admit  of  no  exception: 
and  in  this  instance,  friend  Simeon,  there  are 
no  less  than  three.  The  cup  is  small — the  re- 
ceiver large — and  your  wine  so  delicious  /" 

Pesahim,  86b. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  048  396     6 


